Tracks of Light
by phantomdare1
Summary: Years after Dim Sun's fall, everyone begins to struggle in this new world. Keith has waited for Kate long enough and sets out to find her, and he is led to Oblivia, only to come to face with a new organization called Pinchers. Ben, who is called to the islands, hopes to find his own self-worth, while Summer follows after the young man who inspired her to be a Ranger.
1. Immediate Unrest

**Tracks of Light**

**Chapter 1 – Immediate Unrest**

* * *

><p>"I now pronounce you, husband, and wife."<p>

The bride in a taffeta white gown beamed as her fingers clutched the bouquet of fresh Gracidea that her friend had meticulously grown from her garden. The groom was just as enthusiastic, nervously adjusting his tie, and trying to find room to breathe. Everyone's breaths were halted, waiting for that final line, and when it came, they waited for another moment.

Elaine and Ollie immediately shared the kiss they longed for, earning the cheers from everyone who was watching. A Shaymin, which a guest managed to befriend on the way to the wedding, did the honors of making the entire square bloom with many varieties of flowers instantaneously, providing the perfect environment for a party. The evening was ending, and the Kricketune the Rangers had kindly summoned began to glow and illuminate the dance floor that everyone was setting up very quickly.

A quartet of musicians burst into song for an hour or so until the DJ came with his laptop and his massive speakers, and the waltz became a dance club. Everyone was absorbed in congratulating the newlyweds, but a lone Ranger stood aside, already deciding that smothering the couple any more was no good. He silently watched as everyone settled down to dance as he quietly gripped the rim of his glass cup, half full of the beverage they were serving.

He wore a black waistcoat and black pants, his pale orange dress shirt slightly glowing in the light of the lanterns in the square. The man huffed in irritation, hoping that people wouldn't mistake him for a waiter when they were walking around. Luckily, the waiters around here wore gold waistcoats, so no difference. Of course, someone was probably going to chastise him for not just wearing a full suit like everyone else, but the redhead has his reasons. He certainly didn't feel worthy of one of those suits today. At least he bothered match his clothes with a curt black tie. His very well polished dress shoes glimmered. He was the perfect date, if it weren't for his grouchy face, but it wasn't really much for the fangirls to fret about when they apparently dig troubled dark guys, and his coworkers rarely touched on the subject of his attitude change. Five years can really change a man from happy-go-lucky to dark and brooding.

Keith reached into his pocket and found his keys, relieved that he hadn't forgotten them, but his hands got a hold onto something else attached to his keys. His lips formed a tight line as he drew it out to see it. The object was one of those normal keychains that one could put a photo through, and his tactlessness made him chose a bland pale blue color for a simple frame. Who cares, he had said, it's the picture that counts.

For the past while, he's been thinking about removing the photo, but nostalgia always made him keep it, but he had to be careful to keep it to himself, whatever was in that photo. If he wasn't, someone who knew him better would end up in tears, and those who didn't know him well would continuously bother him to the peaks of hell about the photo. He learned that the hard way since four years ago when he openly looked at the photo. Couldn't anyone have their own "personal" belongings anymore?

Once again, the picture was entirely priceless to him. It was a photograph of a teenage girl, not really looking at the camera, but having a delightful conversation with a friend beside her. Her blue eyes beamed enthusiastically as she seemingly laughed at whatever her friend said. Must have been a good conversation, if she was really happy here. Then the memories did their usual cycle. He remembered her serious side during work, and the countless times he was just as tactless as he was today, and she would criticize him, calling him a idiot, even though she really didn't mean it. Now he was moping, not exactly getting any work done. Where was she now to call him an idiot?

"You're the idiot, damnit," He thought dryly, and he stuffed the items back into his pocket and took another sip from his glass. His mind went back to the moment he found the note, in that flat, in that blue complex on Azalea Terrace. It no longer had an owner, and the home had already been locked away for the sake of investigations… for five years, and nothing has been done to it. Most of the things there were preserved, last time he checked.

In his hand was still that roll of newspaper, which he had picked up on the way to the wedding. Headline news: MASSACRE RANGER LEGACY RECOGNIZED! Of course, he recalled, it was the fifth year of recognizing the person who tarnished the name of the Rangers by mass killing. As if her name hadn't been made fun of already, the substitute Hero of Almia thought to himself. Yeah, that's right. Scratch her name off, and put his instead. Damn media, Keith seethed. As much as he hated what they wrote in the news about her, and her sins, and the conspiracies that weren't true, he had to hold onto it. He was not cowardly now, not like last time when he let everything slip away before.

He then rose from his rest on the table and made his way through the many masses of people dancing, until he saw the people with guest books. He approached them, adjusting his bow tie, and adding the mischievous glow in his eyes. The ladies holding the guest books looked up in awe, and were ready to answer the heartthrob of the Union.

"Yes?"

"Have you seen Basil around anywhere?"

Keith had remembered seeing the boy around here, good friend of his student. The boy managed to graduate from Ranger Academy last year with honors for Technician Rank, but he rejected all offers, and had decided to begin his currently flourishing company for technology. The kid was filthy rich now, surprisingly, and was said to be residing in his summer home in Oblivia. There had been talk about the new corporate building he was planning to base here in Almia, but many worries arose about the idea that Altru and Davies Tech would begin duking it out, when really those two companies would be the real best of friends. More so, he thought that Basil would move into the apartment on Azalea Terrace, or maybe his younger sister, Karen. But in Karen's case, that would take forever. Ever since that Debonair fiasco, Karen's parents forced her to drop out of the Academy early and start fresh as a Coordinator abroad instead, traveling with some bodyguards that her brother graciously provided.

The women looked up at him, wondering why he would have any business with the president of Davies Tech.

"Basil, you say?"

"No, he left early on a flight to Oblivia with his vice president," One of ladies at the gate answered dreamily, her face flushed and a small line of drool dripping the side of her face. Keith held back the urge to look repulsive at the disturbing look on her face. Someone must have really done something to the punch this time. And Basil went with the vice president, eh…?

Although Keith didn't really approve of Basil's decision to bring a convict out of jail to be his most trusted subordinate, he had come to know Ice for quite a while now, and they've stayed on rather good terms for the while. What really concerned him about Basil and Ice is that they were really inseparable nowadays. One would never see one without the other, as if those two lived together, and if not worse, they were in some sort relationship of the sort. Perhaps it's just that Ice happened to be indebted to Basil for helping him out, or something… well, Basil isn't here. Oh, well…

"Well, thanks…" Keith nodded and he went back to the festivities, lost in thought. She was still there, waiting for him somewhere, or maybe she wasn't waiting for him, and she was finally learning not to be a doll. He promised to be honest, and she did the same, and they would find themselves when their roads converged once more, hopefully never diverging again. He'll find her, and she'll find him. It was their vow…

"Elaine, look out!"

Keith's head whipped around when he saw everyone standing clear of the middle of the dance hall, and he tried to peer over the crowd, and saw a familiar uniform he'd love not to see again. Two people were in gray beanies and leather sweaters, with a Miniremo open. He blinked a few times before dead realization dawned upon him. He needed to get closer to see.

"Dim Sun…" He snarled, and dug into his pockets for a pair of white gloves but decided against it. He noted Professor Hastings, who was watching in shock, and the man saw to it to bow down to the older man slightly, hoping this was respectful enough to compensate the contrary thing he planned to do.

"Excuse me," He muttered and then grabbed an old man's cane, and went his way into the crowd. Hastings didn't even notice it was gone. Keith tried to find some view in the crowd as he watched the party crashers intently. Indeed, there were two people wearing that stupidly nostalgic costume, sneering as they held the caged Shaymin, and the many Machamps surrounding the place.

"S'cuse me," The Dim Sun remnant laughed. "We'll be taking this Shaymin-"

With a long bound from one of the dinner tables, the redheaded Ranger launched himself above the crowd backing away from the Dim Sun members, the cane raised above his head. He swung the cane forward, and hit the man in the Dim Sun getup square in the face. Keith saw nothing, but he could definitely hear a crack of a nose back there. Without delay, he whipped out his Styler, and with a few flourished sweeps, he caught the Pokemon and released them.

The crowd was backing away in fright just as Keith jumped over the Miniremo and took down the man controlling it. He gave a few more savage punches before hoisting the man up and dropping him, leaving a few of his teeth to hop out of his mouth upon impact. The lady who worked beside him screamed and broke down in tears, pleading for mercy. It wasn't long before the Operators arrived and handcuffed and took them away, leaving Keith behind with the appalled people. He heard a distinct flurry of whispers, all of which said the same thing.

"Rangers… it must be a brutal job nowadays, isn't it…?"

Keith shot a small glare of some of them, and the whispers were suddenly silenced when he passed by them, trying to find a quiet place to start filing in a report. He then looked at the Fine Styler he possessed and punched in a few numbers before announcing a quick note to the audience while flashing his Styler.

"This area is closed under investigation," He said coldly. "Please evacuate calmly and in an orderly fashion."

He gave an ordering look to the Vientown Rangers along the sides of the party grounds. All of them nodded and began helping out. The scared guests filed out very quickly and surprisingly in a uniform fashion, unlike usual stampeding crowds of people trying to fit through a small door. Perhaps it was the fact that this was in a large park, so people could go wherever they pleased. Then a small tap on his shoulder pulled him from his thoughts, and he looked around to see an elderly man fully decked in a lab coat frowning at him.

"My cane, if you please," He said, and Keith hurriedly put it back into the owner's hands, his face tinged pink in embarrassment.

"Sorry, sir," He said gruffly. "I should have used something else to subdue them."

"Nothing to worry about, Keith," Hastings laughed softly, examining a small dent in the handle. "If you had thought up of forks and knives, the results would have been worse. Thank goodness you're not some demon butler."

A small chuckle came from the redhead's lips, and the professor smiled. At least he was able to keep some of the humor he had as a teenager. However, the amused smile faded and he was back in his serious tendencies.

"Well, anyways," Keith cut in curtly. "Now that this place is closed off, I'll be calling up some more Area Rangers to help collect anything that might help us. Meanwhile, I'll go deal with the media."

"Oh, yes, please do," The scientist nodded rapidly. "You're better at it than me. But only if Murph was here…"

Keith gave a few quick summons from his Styler, and promptly exit the scene to see a horde of reporters, flashing cameras and fangirls, who did nothing worthwhile other than bombarding him with flowers and other gifts he never bothered to pick up. Could these ladies please understand that he was not interested? He's already got a ring on his hand, damnit! Screw it if it wasn't on his ring finger, but still!

"Is it true that Dim Sun is on the move again?"

"No, but-"

"How about that news about the Basil Davies launching construction of a new building here in Almia?"

"Please, no comments," Keith answered coldly. "I'm not answering anything irrelevant to this case."

"Do you know… What do you have to say… Did you… Have you… ever before…?"

The questions came pouring, and his vision was failing him. No, he wasn't going to collapse, but the feeling of people breathing over him was just daunting enough.

"Thank you very much, Hero of Almia!" A reporter applauded him as he stood in the square for the fifth hour, taking interviews and ridiculous comments and gifts. Keith nodded, but inside felt deep disgust. What could they believe? Stupid news… to deface the real hero and use him as the poster boy to cover up a tragedy. He hated being a pawn because he had been one, and it really hurt him in the end anyways.

The tune of his cell phone resounded in the near silence of the square, and Keith picked up the call and answered. "Yeah?"

"S-sir, we've got trouble!" An operator's voice trembled on the other side of the line. "Someone's shot the van, and the convicts! They're both dead!"

* * *

><p>"Ben!" A voice called. "I need some of those paperwork Rhyth asked for!"<p>

"On it!"

"Benny! A coffee while you're at it!"

"That, too!"

"Um, Benny? Can you bring these case files to Keith?"

"I-I'll do that…"

Ben was rushing through the blur of Operators and Rangers in the tireless Ranger Union. It was his first month of work here, and he was assigned under the tutelage of Keith Mustang, the highest ranking Ranger of the Union at the moment. Well, he wasn't the only ones in this weird promotion program. There was Kellyn and Summer, too, but they were always hanging around Sven and Wendy respectively to ever spend any time with him. People said it's a great honor to be trained by the best Ranger, but Ben honestly had to say otherwise. The man was easily likeable enough on all weekdays to everyone, and the slightly cranky on weekends, save for Ben himself.

Keith was ruthless to him, making Ben get him coffee, order him to do the useless missions when his fellow rookies back at the Area Bases were doing better things. Even worse, at this point in time, he had never ever managed to even have his own Partner Pokemon. It seemed that his friends had more luck than him. Summer managed to befriend a gigantic Staraptor like her mentor Wendy, so she could just fly anywhere she wanted. Kellyn had a very adorable Pachirisu, and it was very useful for missions involving machines and the like. And Basil had an entire little family of cute little Pokemon, well, most of them evolved now (thanks to Karen), but still. He had no Partner Pokemon, and it greatly bothered him, and he'd admit his teacher is deliberately treating him like crap. At least he got the Top Ranger certification earliest of all, if that did any good.

Today was unusual. A murder of two had occurred on Friday, the day Elaine and Ollie had their wedding ceremony and reception. Before the event, Ben found it really fun (the wedding, he meant), but didn't manage to find a date, so he spent most of his time talking to Barlow and Crawford, who didn't have any dates, either. Summer and Kellyn couldn't make it to the reception because they were on important missions, much to Ben's chagrin, but at least he met Basil there, if only for a brief time. As much as they were best friends, Basil dropped out of the Ranger system to pursue other goals instead of law enforcing, which was a usual alternative to being in the Ranger Union. He had gathered a few scientists and mechanics and quickly became the leader of the world-renowned Davies Tech in less than three years. Nowadays, his friend was so busy; Ben could rarely ever talk to him face to face.

But back to the murder. A man and a woman, both former Dim Sun upperclassmen, were shot dead from long range on Union Highway. To think that after five years, they still managed to come up once in a while, but their plans always failed. Without a strong leader like Wyatt Hall, the Sinis Trio, or Kincaid, Dim Sun wouldn't be able to rise ever again. At least they were never the cause of worthwhile crimes that have been popping up lately. Ben mulled over the thought of death once again. The concept of dead people by gun was entirely new to the rookie Ranger, and these crimes were rapidly increasing. Guns only existed in stories and books, but now they were real? The world grew darker every minute.

"Oi, get over her, kid," A stern voice made him jump. "You plan on giving me any information on these cases?"

"Y-yes, sir," Ben approached Keith with shaking hands clutching the papers. The redhead was unimpressed, and his raised eyebrows spoke all. He had been forbidden to take part in full investigation, since the Chairman had said that wouldn't help his current health. Now Ben had to tell him everything.

"Don't call me 'sir.' This isn't the military."

_You have no idea,_ Ben thought exasperatedly. "We managed to find the man who shot the convicts two days ago. He was found on the rooftop of a Pueltown skyscraper. He had a bag that contained a sniper rifle, which was used to shoot the victims. Also, he was knocked out and handcuffed to one of the pips on the roof."

He watched the visible twitch in interest in his mentor's face, and the man stood up from his chair in alarm.

"Handcuffed?" Keith was incredulous at the word. "Any idea how?"

"Prof. Hastings didn't know," Ben stated. "He's been sending teams to look for evidence of a second man on the scene. Turns out there was, judging from the second set of recent footprints other than the gunman's on the scene."

"Any details in that report?" Keith asked, settling back down in his chair. "The footprints? What type?"

"Um… it's on this report," Ben handed the paper over. Keith paid little attention and continue to stare at him. Ben's eyebrow twitched in irritation. He knew that Keith was not one to listen to reports, and he liked to read them, so why in the world is Ben being forced to regurgitate everything on the report? Okay, fine, be that way.

"It seems to be a type of military boot," Ben read through the lines, and he knew that Keith really loved details, to the smallest inch of ink on the paper.

A small bit of recognition flashed through his teacher's eyes, and the man said nothing as he got up from his seat in the Control room. He passed the boy and was at the door when he stopped.

"It was a combat boot size 8.3." He said, "You need to remember things like these, kid. They just might help you when you need them."

Ben was puzzled by the low tone his teacher used just before the man exited the room. Then the realization struck him. Keith was still on that stern chase for that one person. A small lump formed in his throat. He couldn't help but actually praise his own teacher's determination to hang onto something so impossible for five whole years. Ben didn't want to believe whatever ridiculous theories Keith came up with whenever the topic came to it, but it was impossible. She was gone, and that was all.

* * *

><p>The sounds of an ongoing conversation right outside the door, was beginning to echo in the large empty house, right when the front door clicked, and the wooden panel swing open. Two people stepped into a foyer, their feet hitting softly against the pale marble. The door quickly closed shut, and the two people were still talking.<p>

The first was a man with striking blue hair, somewhat tamed decently, but still spiky in a sense. He had just come back from work, so he was still wearing his suit and coat, a suitcase held tightly in his hands. His blue eyes flitted warily back and forth between different parts of the room, and his feet spun on the spot right towards a shorter young man with light brown hair. He was stooped over trying to tuck away his shoes to the side as neatly as possible. His pair of bright blue eyes looked up at the first man, before smiling.

"Still," he said, continuing their talk from outside. "I wouldn't mind asking Mr. Hayden to take care of the design. It's still early, so I would want to check later…"

Ice was just lost after that. All he could do was watch Basil fret over their development schedule this month, blue eyes staring straight back at him, and mouth moving so animatedly. Somehow, all the stress seemed to fade from his head, and he felt refreshed again. He should be focusing on what Basil was saying, but he was still tired physically, he made little effort to even tune in on any sound at all.

"Conan?" Basil's voice brought him back to reality. "Ice? You there?"

Suddenly, he was just a half meter from his face, those blue eyes blinking up at him (Remember, Basil was significantly shorter than Ice). Too close! Way too close! Heat rose to Ice's face and he backed away from his friend, sputtering profusely while Basil blinked far too innocently. The little… was he doing that on purpose.

"You were spacing out," Basil stated blandly. "You okay? You're tired?"

"Uh…" Ice fumbled with his words. "Right. Uh, no. I'm fine."

He averted his attention elsewhere, hoping the pink on his face would fade soon. He looked around the house again, still not believing what he saw. It was surprise that the place was empty. Well, this has happened before, but he could never get used to coming into an empty home. He would have preferred someone to come out and welcome him back, then again… that wasn't really much.

"She's not here, is she?" He turned back to Basil.

"I… I don't think so," The young man said, stepping to the side of the foyer, his bare feet pattering against the marble floor. Ice realized he had forgotten to take off his own shoes, and he scuffled back to the front door. He grabbed his own pair of slippers afterwards and hastily followed Basil to the kitchen.

"Where is she, then?" Ice asked.

"She's still on her job," Basil replied, turning on the light switch. "I doubt she'll be back until tomorrow."

Ice blinked warily. Odd. Very odd. Basil usually knew exactly when she would arrive, or when she would be staying home, but this time, the president of Davies Tech was unsure for the first time. Was she doing something dangerous? That wouldn't be good for Basil's mental health, and if he got sick, he was really going to give that woman an earful for hurting her own little brother. That is, if he could catch her when she got back.

"Which one?" He then asked.

That's right. She had many jobs. All of them paid rather well, but she had a strong tendency to hop jobs now and then. At least the only one's she managed to stick to was assisting operations with the that certain family in Orre. He never understood why she chose such a shady job, even if she said she joined them partially for personal reasons. At least her other jobs weren't so bad, like being the Davies Tech main courier.

He watched Basil withdraw his hand from an open cabinet, a frying pan in his hands.

The smaller man tried to think. "Um… I guess the one in Orre."

"So the shady one?" Ice suggested, and he received an exasperated sigh from the other.

"Yes, that one," He said, closing that cabinet, and opening another, which contained spices. "But, please, Ice, don't call it 'shady.'"

Ice remained silent as he watched the younger man set the pan down. He eyed the knobs on the stove, and turned the second one, causing blue fire to spring up from the burner, licking the bottom of the pan lightly. Basil then headed for the refrigerator, hopeful that something would still be there. The three o them had forgotten to restock their rations for the week, so they had to make do with anything they happened to keep in their kitchen but neglected because there was something better to eat.

"Hey," Ice finally spoke, and Basil was already mixing a combination of vegetables, fried eggs, and rice.

"Hmm?" The boy turned towards him, leaving the rice to cool, now that he shut off the stove, leaving the rice to cool for a while.

"Since she's not home," The blue haired man continued, his voice rather hesitantly. "She won't be complaining tonight, right?"

Basil visibly stiffened at the mention of that, and he turned to his vice-president with wide blue eyes. H-How casual he spoke about that! A knowing smile curled on the former Dim Sun executive, and Basil raised an eyebrow with a sigh, knowing what would happen next. A smile just like the other began to form on the younger man's face as he clambered off from the counter he was leaning on. His own slippers made soft thumps on the floor as he made his way around the island in the kitchen, and he was then a few feet away from his older subordinate.

"I'm fine with it," Basil smiled, and Ice couldn't feel any happier, but before he could move, his "boss" turned on his heel and headed back for the stove, his attention back to the rice. He reached into the cupboard and took out two bowls.

"Just, afterwards," Basil added, a rice paddle in his hand. "Otherwise, the dinner will get cold. I don't feel like reheating it."

Both brows on Ice's face rose, and he finally submitted to the younger's suggestion. They couldn't go through a night on an empty stomach, so he should try eating a bit. Besides, maybe that would help him sleep a bit better.

"Okay. Suit yourself."

* * *

><p>The interrogation was grueling. Very grueling. The man refused to say anything about the second man on the roof, much to Ben's dismay. It was making Keith very disgruntled about staying cool about this, and the redhead already smashed two coffee cups without a single change on his face, save for a distinct twitch of the lips whenever the convict brushed up against a nerve. The gunman chained to the chair (by Keith's request) was amused by this and then made it a game to see how long it would take for Keith to not look so stiff and uncaring.<p>

Ben was standing beside his teacher, who was sitting in a chair behind a small table that divided the distance between him and the suspect. Several others, Operators and scientists, were standing beside a glass wall, watching from afar.

"Can't you look like you're doing your job?" The man asked challengingly, and Keith didn't answer and further pressed on the question.

"Tell me exactly what happened on the roof when you shot those two goons."

"Like I said," the man grinned. "Not telling you anything. You might as well drop the 'good cop' thing. Or you can be bad cop, and your kid over there play good cop."

"I-I'm not his kid!" Ben said hurriedly, arms flailing before his face. Keith then glared at the boy for showing emotion, and the boy let his hands down in a defeated manner. Sheesh, be human for once!

"Well, at least he's the lively one here," the gunman smiled at Ben. "Care to join in on the fun? I'd be happy to spend time with you all day rather this grump over here."

"Eh…" Ben hesitated, and the man chuckled at his unease.

"Don't worry," the man smirked at him. "I'd love to treat you to something nice…"

A loud bang on the table caught everyone's attention, and Ben could see that his teacher had put a fist through the table. He had left a deep dent in the metal as he rose out of his chair slowly, quietly pushing his chair back.

"I would prefer that you don't 'flirt' with my student and just get on with it and answer us," Keith scowled. "I haven't got all day."

"Well, I don't either," the gunman sighed nonchalantly. "I've got a whole list of clients back at my place. You think I wanna be here?"

The two men glared at each other and the atmosphere was getting colder by the minute, and Ben was beginning to feel like a small Pichu in the midst of a Seviper and a Zangoose.

"C-can we at least work this out?" Ben sputtered and exchanged cold glances from both men at the same time. "I mean, this person who caught you on the roof must have turned you in to the Union, which you didn't want, and… you want to get back at him, right?"

"It's a she," the man emphasized. "Didn't you listen to me the first time?"

Keith glared once more at his student, and a shiver ran down his back.

"You need to be more alert, brat," Keith added, and Ben was more than ready to sink back into the shadows of the poorly lit room and let the two talk on their own. Maybe he should just go outside and have Rhythmi slap and yell at his teacher for being mean…

"Well, you want to get back at her, right?" Ben asked. "We can catch her, and put her behind bars. Wouldn't that be nicer than just giving us a hard time?"

"You're right, kid," the gunman smiled serenely, in the horror of Ben. "But I wanna see this guy break."

Said person was not very pleased about this predicament, and he stood up from his chair. Like lightning, grabbed the gunman's throat. He lifted the man, still in the chair, with ease and pinned him against the wall by the throat still. The people behind the wall were wincing at the sudden actions of the Ranger. Still, Keith didn't change his expression, and but the hold made the man gasp and squirm for air.

"Better speak up," Keith said. "Or making friends with this wall will the least painful activity for you this evening."

"Oooh…" The man smiled, still trying to breathe. "Getting a bit rough now, are we? I like it."

Keith scoffed, and pulled him off the wall and slammed him back with even more force. The man gagged and coughing a bit. Keith was sure he would kill the suspect soon if he kept up with this, so he let him crumple to the ground. Ben was scared out of his mind and was unable to move at all. This was bad- very very very very bad. He began to pity the gunman actually, for having lesser brains to know not to anger his teacher.

"Answer," Keith growled. "Please."

"No," the man coughed out, and Keith gave a hard kick to his stomach, and body was left quivering. He then picked up the gunman by the shoulders and threw him headfirst into the wall opposite into the wall the others were staring through. One of the women there screamed when the man's face was compressed against the glass and he slid down onto the floor.

"I have more ways of making you talk," Keith knelt down beside him. "Wanna give them a try?"

The gunman gulped, and grit his teeth in consternation at the man who towered over him, brown eyes cold and burning like a wild fire.

* * *

><p><em>The gunman was resting quietly on the edge of a tall building. He had locked the door to make sure no one would come racing up the stairs to catch him. He peered down at the scope of his rifle, and was busy tracing a van that was racing down one of the new highways of the region. He chewed down on the toothpick in his mouth, cursing at the fact that the stupid van was so erratic. What kind of driver does that anyway?<em>

_ "Screw it," He said, and shot twice. The van immediately turned to the side, and he watched the driver clamber out of the van in surprise, his blue coat flying. He then aimed again and shot two times again, hearing the man shriek at the fact that something was shot at the van._

_ The gunman lifted his rifle, admiring his handiwork. His victory faded when he heard the fast gust of wind fly past him, followed by a loud caw. His face was muffled by the feathers of a black and white bird, and he scrambled to his feet to swat it away. The beating of wings on his face turned into pecking, and he yelped at each one, until he finally caught the bird's leg, and flung the bird aside. Now, he could see a Staravia narrowly missing the floor, recovering from the fall and gliding towards a black plane hovering above the building. The man was puzzled. Was this his pickup crew? He never thought his employer had a plane as nice and sleek as that…_

_ The hatch opened, and a dark figure jumped out, not using a single safety line. When the person landed softly on the ground, the gunman was sure he was facing someone who was his type. The distant city lights below only gave him enough to see short blowing hair, a thin face, eyes covered by shades, mirrored wraparounds, he identified them. The person wore a long jacket that reached the ankles, where leather boots could be seen. From the shape of the stranger's face and the small curve he could see on the coat, he could tell it was a woman. There really was no need to take a look at the rest of her body. The Staravia that pecked the gunman's face landed on her outstretched arm, quite proud of the number it did on him. Stupid bird, he scowled mentally._

_ "Just doing my job," He grumbled, putting away his rifle into its case. The woman didn't answer and merely stood there. He was getting uneasy at the fact that she didn't seem to move._

_ "You're one to talk," He looked at the woman. "What brings you here?"_

_ Her lips tightened, and her voice turned out to be a bit scratchy and slightly deep, "How many?"_

_ "Two," He chuckled. "Not really what I expected though. Old members, probably grunts, of the Dim Sun."_

_ "Dim Sun, you say?" She asked._

_ "Yeah, who else would do something as ridiculous?" the gunman shrugged. The woman said nothing as she approached him slowly. He was beginning to fear small quakes in his fingers as she got closer. He was supposed to know who she was, but he couldn't tell, really, from all this dark._

_ "Who are you, anyways?" He asked, trying to control his instincts of fear._

_ "Used to be a local here," the woman said._

_ "That doesn't answer my question," the gunman sighed. "Yay, you used to live here."_

_ "I don't need to tell you my name," the woman was a few feet away from him, her fists clenched. He gulped visibly and grasped the bag that held his rifle._

_ "Look, I just killed a few useless mooks. Not a big deal or anything-"_

_The Staravia hovered off of the woman's arm. She immediately dove forward, and took his leg, and lifted him. The man was hanging of the edge of the building, his arms dangling. He was sputtering at the fact that a woman like her could possibly lift a weight like his. He even seemed to forget he was hanging off a twenty story building. He didn't train himself in parkour or any building sport, so the view of a bustling street fifty feet below was not so refreshing to him._

_ "So, your choice," the woman said briskly. "My arm might get a little tired, since a good friend of yours found it funny to shoot it. I might just complain about how it hurts and I'll let you go. You don't want that, do you?"_

_ "W-w-w-what are you-u talking-g-g a-about?" the man stuttered. "W-w-Who are you?"_

_ "I'm not going to answer," The cloaked woman said as she lazily let her arm nearly slip, making the man gasp. "You might as well take those words back. Those 'mooks' were still people, after all."_

_ "H-Hel-" before the man could finish, he was yanked back onto the rooftop, onto his back. He could see a bit more of the woman's face as she was standing in front of him with the lights almost behind her. Brown. That was the color of her hair. The Staravia flew back down and landed on her shoulder._

_ "Sorry," He said flatly. The woman's feet shifted._

_ "You say sorry?" She asked, and the man nodded. "Good. But not good enough."_

_ She lifted a tightening fist and thrust her arm forward. Lights out, he heard her say before he saw black._

* * *

><p>"And that was the last thing I saw!" The man said frantically. Keith was holding the hair of the gunman, pulling his head back and exposing a neck that could be easily crushed. The suspect was utterly terrified by the recent proceedings that he had to babble everything out. Ben hastily recorded what he said, and Keith let the man go. The man had been let out of his restraints on the chair, but his arms were still tied behind him. He was panting with blood dribbling down his face and arms. Looks like Keith really did a number on him.<p>

"That's all I wanted to hear," the redheaded Ranger got up to his feet, and looked at Ben, who immediately fumbled with his notes when attention was turned to him.

"You," he said in a commanding tone. "Go get someone to clean this up."

"Y-yes!" His disciple squeaked and was rushing quickly for the door, and Keith was walking slowly to the door as well. He stopped short when he heard a moan from the gunman. The redhead didn't turn around yet, and he visibly keeping his ears trained on the sound. Then he shook his head in shame, and went to rejoin his student, who was holding the door open for him.

"Bastard," The man whispered as Keith made his way to exit the room and tell the security to put him back in his cell. The man stood up and in blind rage, began charging for him. Ben wanted to shout to tell his teacher of the attack, but Keith turned his head around and gave a swinging back kick into the man's stomach. The man hit the wall once more and fell into a bloody heap.

"Anything else?" Keith asked, hoping the man would challenge him, but he had no answer. With a deep sigh, he and Ben walked out of the room with little intent on coming back.

* * *

><p>The café was filled with another crowd of people greatly anticipating the newest broadcast of the Lily of the Valley Conference, streaming live from Sinnoh. Because of this, the café decided to close much later into the night, so now the place was crowded in the main building, and anyone who wanted a normal drink for the day had to sit outside at the balcony view. Thankfully, it was summer, so the weather conditions were satisfactory. Besides, the ocean was quite nice to look at whenever the sun was setting.<p>

The small clinking of glass being set by the table was the only thing that wasn't coming from the café inside. Two men were sitting at the balcony section of the café, overlooking a bit of the fishing section of Pueltown, and then to the rest of the sea. Two glasses of amber liquid were being drunk and placed on a wooden table

"Rough time?"

"Y-Yeah…"

It was the end of the day, and Murph saw it fit to take the disgruntled twenty-one year old to a pub for a small drink. After a rather big case with a murder, they had done their own investigations before handing it off to the police themselves. Murph was now the Chairperson of the Ranger Union, having completely replaced Erma since three years ago. It seemed that the old woman was unable to keep up with her duties with her injuries from the Dim Sun invasion of the Union, and she was forced to retire. With little much people capable of taking the position, Murph had to take it upon himself. Now it was a few more years, and he's gotten more experienced with the job, but admittedly, it was difficult.

Keith wasn't getting the worst brunt of the workload nowadays. The man had climbed ranks faster than anyone, and now he was one of the finest Rangers the Union had ever seen. Setting the Technology Department aside, which was as strong and powerful in its own right with Hastings in command, Murph and Keith became known to be the two powerhouses of the other two divisions. With Murph as Chairman, and Keith out in the field, those two were an unstoppable tag team, and probably the better of buddies around the Union.

Nowadays, Murph was one of the only people Keith could ever talk so casually with, let alone talk to in general. A lot of the Ranger Union members he knew back then were no longer here, since they got transferred to other parts of the world where their abilities were greatly needed than Almia, where the law enforcement was stable with both the Ranger Union headquarters and an iron-fisted police force. The redhead didn't want to bother Rhythmi, who seemed like she was constantly busy, and was very unapproachable whenever he even saw her on a break. Isaac was a decent guy to hang out with, but Keith could find better things to talk about than business and the latest invention. Sven and Wendy were just like Rhythmi, always busy, and acting unresponsive whenever they got back. Murph, whom Keith reported to regularly, was the only person who managed to remain likeable at all times, so the two stayed together very often, perhaps going to the local café together for the evening, or even visiting other close friends. They were adults now, so the two men couldn't bother themselves to try making any pranks or doing stupid things.

So, here they were, drinking just one or two glasses of ale. Keith sat quietly, thumbing the side of his glass, and blankly staring out to sea. Murph constantly watched the redheaded Ranger warily. He looked extremely tired, and of course, the best way to solve it was to have the man say everything that was bothering him. The man had been more recluse about himself, actually. He rarely talked about any personal happenings, not even his parents in Johto, or his brother, who's been stopping in and out of Almia in monthly intervals.

"You're going to need a break, Keith," Murph suggested, completely out of the blue. Of course he had to say, though.

Keith scoffed in response, and went back to drinking his glass of ale. Murph immediately noticed how the redheaded Ranger wasn't pleased with the idea, judging from his lack of response, and tried to reassure him with something that might have made him not want to go.

"Don't worry about Ben," Murph added furtively. "I'll just put Wendy in charge of him. You know Summer, right? I guess she and Ben are quite close buddies at the Academy."

He was silenced by the loud slam of Keith's glass against the hollow table, and he watched as the man straightened up in his seat, leaning heavily against his hands placed on the table.

"Idiot," Keith muttered darkly. "I couldn't care less about that brat. I'd bet he'd get himself hurt anyways, one way or another."

Murph then gave off a smile. Keith never really changed, did he?

"But I'm sure you have other things to deal with," the Chairman stated. "Personal ones, I mean."

Keith paused at the mention of "personal." Like before, he wasn't very open about his personal issues. Well, he didn't have to. His family was just doing fine, so no drama on that side of his life. And he hadn't even bothered to date anyone, even if he could go out with hundreds of women at this point in time, just from fame and appearance. But he was a faithful man, and he wouldn't seek pleasure to drown himself in his sorrows. Murph knew he wasn't that type of person.

"She's back," Keith growled forebodingly, and Murph perked up at the mention of that person, an unsure smile on his face. Murph was one of the few people who'd ever support Keith in this issue, although it was doubtful.

"You can't be too sure about it," Murph said. "I'm sure there are a few other women just like her, Keith. It will be hard to find her after five years. Besides, if I was in her situation, I'd imagine that she'd try to just go back to having a normal life with a different identity."

The redheaded Ranger calmed down from his friend's logic, and emptied his glass, leaving a small mound of leftover ice in the drink. He then stared back at the ocean, quietly sulking at how right Murph could be. But there was still that tugging string of reason he could use to bring back that small hope he hung onto for half a decade. That was the deciding evidence.

"But she's not that type of person," Keith then retorted. "She's most likely trying to come back. She's just busy, that's all, and she'll come back when her own issues are done and over with."

Murph raised his eyebrows, perplexed that Keith could come up with a response like that, and that only gave a wider smile on his face. Somehow, he could see the old Keith coming back, and that was something he and the rest of the Union longed to see. With these turn of events, there just might be a miracle, one that would reinvent their lives once more. Please, he hoped, his eyes turning towards the stars, let this happen, and let her come back to us.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** _Ah, yes, hello! Hello! I'm back a bit too quickly, and yes, this is the sequel to Shadows of Almia. Thanks to some suggestion, I just stuck to the game names as the titles. Let's all hope for the best and take this story to the very end, just like the first one!_

_And to answer some questions that some may be thinking, and facts that I feel like sharing:_

_Yes, Keith is at least in his twenties now, and he's allowed to drink (either that, or the drinking age is different in the Pokemon world, or there isn't any alcohol at all). Supposedly, Kate leaves the Union at sixteen. She's a Top Ranger at fifteen, and half year means it's past January, which is her birthday, so she's seventeen when she leaves. There is no official information about Keith's birthday, so, I'll have to think about that later. But he's twenty-one at this point._

_Also some facts about alcohol and our own characters: most of the characters can hold their liquor, except for a few. For example, Basil will get clingy and possessive when he gets even one glass of even the weakest. Luckily, Basil's underage at the moment, so you won't see him like that very much (actually, I was planning on getting him drunk in some later chapter). Isaac is known to not stand it at all, so one cup, and he's through (that's why bringing him to company parties is a bad idea). And most of all, Sven. In my world, Sven is the worst person you should ever go out for a drink with, especially if you are of the opposite gender._

_Um, yeah, I'm aware that I'm sorta making Basil and Ice look like a couple (sorry, it's my yaoi fangirl tendencies… You didn't expect that, did you?). I was planning on leaving a lot of the shounen-ai hints out of this story for the sake of being discreet, and then just make it part of the drabbles portion of the series, but if you readers are very very excited about seeing bit more spice between those two in this story, then be my guest. Otherwise, they're just good friends who happened to live together in the same house because Ice doesn't really have family anywhere else (that makes a good angst element)._

_Now I've realized my author's note is taking too much space. Phantomdare1, signing off._


	2. The Insignificant Details

**Tracks of Light**

**Chapter 2 – The Insignificant Details**

* * *

><p><em>"Darkness!" His Styler was ringing with others' voices. "Spreading around the tower! I can't see the Shadow Crystal anymore!"<em>

_"The situation is this bad, then," Keith mumbled. "There's no way we'll get this operation done…"_

_He then felt a tug on his collar, and he looked at the girl who was twisting her back slightly to face him. The redhead could see the steely determination in her eyes, and he was sure that she was going to make him do something he didn't want to do.__ He didn't want to let go of this feeling, the sensation of warmth and comfort right here in his hands. His hands began moving on their own, resting upon her shoulders familiarly._

_"Then, at least let me down from here," She spoke to him. "I need to take care of what's happening on the roof."_

_He froze immediately. She was willing to let go?_

_"W-What?" Keith sputtered and then shook his head furiously. "No, we can't do that! You might get hurt by that cloud on the roof, and, and…"_

_"And what?" The girl frowned, and Keith stammered in response. He couldn't say anything with those stern blue eyes turning cold. He couldn't stop her now, with that determination he witnessed. But… couldn't he wish her some luck?_

_He let go of his hold on the Starptor and wrapped both his arms about the other Ranger tightly, burying his face into the crook of her neck. Keith could feel her stiffen at the sudden risky action he had just done, and slowly raise his arms to rest them on his back, a frail attempt to return a hug._

_"I…" Keith said. "I saw what happened to you just a while ago… when you were taken into that void. I was afraid, and that was why I saved you."_

_"Keith…" The girl muttered, and Keith continued._

_"It was a dangerous thing to do, I know," he admitted, "but… I just… don't want to lose you over … over something like this."_

_He felt a tap on his shoulder, and he let go of her, and both pairs of eyes were staring back into each other deeply. A small smile was drawn across her face, and a concerned grimace at his._

_"You're so silly, Keith," The girl said softly, her voice still harsh, but what was there to be silly about. She looked like she was ready to fall asleep. Keith grew even more worried as he noticed that her eyes were fading in and out of focus. All the more reason not to let her go off on her own._

_"What are you talking about?"_

_"Silly," The other Ranger sighed. "You remember our promise, didn't you?"_

_Keith brightened at the remembrance of it._

_"O-of course I did!"_

_"Well, then," Lips smirked. "You'll know I'll get out of this soon enough. Then we'll be able to say it, right?"_

_"Right," Keith nodded, but the frown returned. "Still…"_

_"I'll be fine," The brown haired girl smiled weakly, and leaned forward to his bewildered face, their lips briefly touching. It wasn't much, really, but it served well enough for them to understand their brief parting. Keith was quite red from what she had done, and then looked at her again._

_"Well, then at least let me have the Yellow Gem, all right?" he requested. "Then I'll join up with Sven and Wendy."_

_"Right," she nodded after the exchange, and Keith swooped down closer to the cloud for her to leap off. She turned back to him to give a small gesture of thanks, and he returned with a few more words, which had little relevance to their conversation, but she listened to them well. Keith looked back at those piercing blue eyes. They were so full of that sense like all Rangers, the sense to protect others, just as the duty was given to them. It felt difficult, just letting her jump off from here, and leaving her by herself… he couldn't trust himself… but he should try…_

_"Let's be safe," Keith struggled for a wide grin as he grasped her still outreached hand, startling the girl. "Both of us!"_

_"R-right," The brown haired girl smiled, and she gave him one last tight grasp of the hand before they broke apart, and she was gone. He was left there above the black clouds, hoping that the rest of the plan would go smoothly. It was just hope. And nothing else._

* * *

><p>Hazel eyes snapped open immediately, and they peered at a large glowing white crystal, surrounded by three revolving crystals, one red, blue, and yellow. Keith was sitting down on the cold ground, his legs crossed, and his arms folded. He glanced to his left, where a middle aged man was standing quietly. He didn't look too impressive, with the countless scarves and striped shirt with teal pants. He certainly didn't look too great with his bizarre hair done into an incomprehensible blonde shape, either. Most of all, he was always followed by two or more of those Drowzees, which weren't exactly the Pokemon Keith himself was comfortable with. At least he didn't have to look at him very much.<p>

"I'm done here," Keith said curtly as he rose to his feet. "Thank you."

The man turned on his heel and began walking away, his footsteps echoing on the almost vacant roof of the Altru Tower. The Drowzee Man tilted his head in concern as he watched the Ranger walk away for the umpteenth time. It was a weekly ritual, and he would always expect each Sunday, every Sunday. Those days, the redhead would come here, and just sit there, and the Drowzee he had here would automatically do their work. And he would watch the man sit there for at least an hour before opening his eyes and exit the floor, a small thanks on the edge of his tongue.

On Almia's memorial day, he would come here anyways, regardless the fact that it was never a Sunday, and he would stay here longer. Whatever the Drowzee allowed him to see once more was probably touching to him, and a very treasured memory. He had seen this Ranger before. He was the most famous of them all at the moment. The acclaimed Hero of Almia, the man who saved the region from turmoil at the age of just fifteen. A clear genius in his own right, the newspapers would call him. However, he was never sure if everything the papers said was true. The look on that Ranger's face proved it all…

Keith was now at the ground floor of the Altru headquarters. He had been lazy again, and decided to take the long way down with the elevator. Besides, it was a Sunday, and he had all the time in the day to get down, so why waste it? The welcoming lobby was not exactly filled, but enough for him to constantly swerve out of the way just to get out. He was at the door when he heard a startled gasp from the side. He turned his head slightly and noted a tall blonde man, fresh out of the lab, and out for a break.

"Keith? Is that you?"

The redhead brightened slightly upon recognition. It was Isaac, an old friend from the Academy. Well, they didn't interact very much as classmates, and they weren't in the same classes very much. It wasn't until the entire Dim Sun situation that Isaac was taken in by the Union, and without the young scientist's help, Operation Brighton wouldn't have been possible. Keith never really met Isaac directly, and it was only because of…

"Oh, you're here?" He said flatly, and Isaac nodded while bounding over, his badge bouncing on his chest and the flaps of his white coat rustling from the sudden movement.

"Of course I am," the scientist grinned. "I work here, don't it?"

An easygoing Isaac. Well, that wasn't really a surprise anymore. Before, the man used to be a timid boy genius who stuttered in front of even the smallest of things, only speaking clearly whenever he was deadly serious or intent on something. Now, he was one of the most sociable men in the company, rounding up the best projects the company could ever produce, and spending enough time with his little sister and his girlfriend, who happened to be a well known Operator from the Ranger Union. Before the fall of Dim Sun, Altru and the Union had been at odds, but with relationships like these, and the organization dissolved, there were little regrets between the two entities.

Keith continued to stare at Isaac blankly, his face showing little expression as the other man babbled. Some reason, Isaac's personality today, was just like himself five years ago. He was easygoing, got top marks on most missions, and had a girlfriend himself. He used to be like Isaac, the man who had everything in the world. Keith could be like that. He could laugh and talk like that if he wanted. He could even find himself a girlfriend quite easily. But there was that restraint, and he was sure he was thinking these things because he was watching Isaac talk. Well, just look at the irony now.

"And… I guess I'm free now," Isaac finished. "Oh, Keith. I'm on lunch break. Wanna come to get something for lunch? I bet you haven't eaten yet."

"Oh," Keith's head snapped up in surprise before realizing what his friend meant. "Yeah. Sure. I'll pay for my lunch, though."

"Okay, then," Isaac smiled cheerfully. "So where to?"

Keith was really just hoping to have a short lunch with Isaac, but the lunch became a full-time one-sided conversation that must have gone for a half hour. Was there even a record? He listened quietly to Isaac talk and talk about how his recent project has been going quite smoothly, and a few minor setbacks, but the new product was set to be manufactured soon. The man was going on and on about work, which meant he just had to listen without really jumping in. Keith didn't really like to talk very much nowadays, and he would rather go wander off to patrol, but he was kind enough to try to follow what was going on in Altru. Perhaps it could be useful that he knew something about Altru.

He was now moving his empty glass in circles, amused by the way how the chunks of remaining ice followed in the same direction he moved the glass. It was just iced coffee, nothing serious like beer or worse. All he could think about now that he was eating lunch with Isaac was just the recent interrogation. The gunman wasn't very clear about the person who arrested him personally just for the Rangers to pick up, but he was either being too hopeful, thinking that it would be her of all people to catch the gunman. But it was plausible, wasn't it? It could be her. If he could track her down, he could find her…

"Oh, and I have a question," Isaac finally paid some more attention to him. Keith looked up from the table, brown eyes calculating.

"Hm?"

"You… you know," Isaac was suddenly his bashful persona again. "You know how… in March… I…"

Keith sighed in exasperation. The scientist really changed a lot, unless it was geared towards love and relationships, then he's a sputtering wreck.

"I get it," the redhead supposed. "You proposed to Rhythmi… wait a minute. Aren't you supposed to be planning your wedding? You should start planning because summer's coming really soon."

"Well, I am," Isaac shifted in his seat hesitantly. "So… can you be the best man?"

Keith continued to swirl the ice in his cup, barely really paying much attention, and the man shrugged in response.

"Sure." Simple. Easy. Just like that.

"R-really?" Isaac's jaw must have dropped at how quickly the decision was. "I-I mean… you're coming right?"

"Yeah," Keith raised an eyebrow. "It's not that much of a big deal. All I have to do is help a little with the planning and pretty host the reception. I can talk, you know."

"Oh, thanks!" Isaac's pine eyes beamed in admiration. "That's one thing off the list!"

"But," Keith's utterance made Isaac stop smiling, staring at him in question. "What about Rhythmi? Is she fine with it?"

"Of course, Keith!" Isaac nodded. "You're her best friend from school! Why wouldn't she allow you to be best man? She already has to ask the others for bridesmaids. And she's still having trouble finding the maid of honor. Some reason, she was quite strong that Linda shouldn't be the one."

"Maid of honor…" Keith muttered. Rhythmi was strange, indeed, not asking Linda to be the maid of honor. Those two were literally best friends in the Union, but then again, this was when she joined the Union's main headquarters. If not Linda, then who? Some reason, he really wanted some certain person to be the maid of honor instead of Linda, if that was possible…

Then something sparked in him. Many thoughts rushed through his head all at once, formulating a plan. If he could accomplish it, maybe then…

The clinking of ice and glass stopped abruptly.

"Leave it open."

Isaac blinked in surprise. "W-what?"

"I said," Keith asserted. "Tell Rhythmi to keep the position open, if she's having so much trouble trying to find a maid of honor."

"B-but."

"I'll handle it," the Ranger said coolly. "Just tell it to her as a suggestion, and say it's from me. I can help with that a bit."

"Are you going to plan to do something?" Isaac questioned.

"Yes, I am," Keith answered. "Just tell her to do that, and leave the position open until the wedding day."

"O-okay, then…" Isaac sputtered at the sudden half-baked decision his friend made. "I'll tell her then."

"Yeah. Do that."

Keith sat back in his chair, gazing at the blue sky. Today, no showers whatsoever, which was great. He didn't want the rain to come today. Now he had time to mentally slap himself. That was too impulsive of him, promising something that can't really be done in a flash. What was he thinking? He should just take that back right now, telling Isaac to forget it, and allow someone else to be maid of honor, but he knew that Rhythmi wouldn't want that. Surely, she must be quietly asking him to bring their old friend out soon. Just this once, just for all of them to stand together in a big picture. He really wanted that. He really did. Even if it wasn't his own wedding, he really wished he could bring their old friend out, just so he could stand next to her once again.

* * *

><p><em>A young child was panting heavily as he finally reached the knoll of a familiar clearing in the local forest. He wiped his sweaty palms on his blue and gold sash, which he was sure he was going to be scolded for dirtying. It was Tanvir's handiwork and Kira's hard work to afford the fabric, after all. But he was far too excited to lament about his later punishments. He approached the hillock of grass and exotic flowers when he saw a figure resting in the verdure. He was tempted to just pounce on the person just to check if said person was asleep, but he knew better.<em>

"_Ah, you're here already, Ravio?"_

_The kind voice made him jump in fright at the voice, and he watched the figure get up from the grass, brushing off the strands of greenery from her shoulders. Her brown hair swayed slightly from the small movements. Ravio came forth and helped the woman up to her feet, who gave a small thanks._

"_You came a bit earlier than I thought," the woman said to him._

"_Of course!" the little boy jumped, his brass and iron helmet clinking. "Why would I miss a single lesson with you, Ms. Katrina?"_

"_Such an eager child," Ms. Katrina nodded, and tried to pat the boy's head, but her hand met metal. Still, the effort counted, and the little boy could only gaze up at her in great admiration._

_Ms. Katrina was quite different from all the people who have ever come to the village. First thing was that she wasn't really from here in the first place. Second was herself. She was the only person Ravio ever saw had such bright blue eyes. Everyone here had eyes ranging from red to brown, never blue. The aspect of a differently colored eyes was new to him, but he couldn't forget the strange clothing she wore. Ms. Katrina didn't wear heavily embroidered sashes and necklaces of shells like the many women wore in the plaza. Instead, she wore entirely cloth, and it was all in black or a dark shade of gray. Somehow, with a black shirt, pants, boots, and coat, Ravio was sure she was someone special, if she dressed differently. This was instant admiration._

_A small orb of green light arrived between them, and out popped Celebi, the little Pokemon that hung around this clearing very often. Now another thing about Ms. Katrina. She wasn't even from this time. Celebi was being childish again, mixing people up between the times, and Ms. Katrina happened to be the latest one Celebi felt like teasing. However, the woman welcomed it, and for the past weeks, she's been appearing here every evening, and Ravio looked forward to seeing Ms. Katrina tell stories and teach him many things the oracles would never teach him. He had nothing against the temple oracles, but Ms. Katrina just happened to know more than they did sometimes._

_Celebi circled about Ms. Katrina's head as she allowed it to rest in her arms, and she cradled it softly like a cherished child._

"_The little one here was eager to see me, wasn't it?" She smiled._

"_It sure was," Ravio beamed, and then sat down in the grass. "So what's the lesson today?"_

"_Oh, today?" Kate blinked. "Did you practice like I asked you to?"_

"_Yup!" Ravio grinned. "I borrowed a Heart Slate, and I managed to make friends with a Piplup!"_

"_A Piplup, you say?"_

"_Yeah!" the enlightened child jumped to his feet. "It's at home with Kira, but if I wanted to, I could have brought it here."_

"_Well, that would be nice, but I believe you," Ms. Katrina gave him a tender smile. "So, we'll start the next lesson, trying to face aggressive Pokemon."_

_Ravio listened intently as Ms. Katrina instructed him on everything he should do. He was a physically able boy, and they had gone through physical exercises before, so much that he could boast that he surpassed all the other boys in his village. He could dodge out of Tanvir's towering attempts at intimidation and Kira's hands whenever he tried to refuse a shower at inopportune times. When he told Ms. Katrina what has been going on at home, she would laugh and say that it's a good thing he's been staying in shape._

_The lesson was very enlightening to him, and he heard a small coo from the Celebi, who was glowing green again. His friend was telling him something. Ms. Katrina had to go home now. Ravio then looked to his teacher, who got up to her feet._

"_Um, Ms. Katrina?" _

"_Yes?"_

_Ms. Katrina had that smile that welcomed him to ask. Just like that of a mother… A mother… It made him think of his own parents. He had no real idea where his mother was, and he rarely saw his own father… Tanvir and Kira were close friends of his parents and raised him for most of the time, so much that he literally moved in with those two. He couldn't really see them as a parent, but somehow, he could see one in Ms. Katrina, regardless the fact that she was from the future._

"_You're from the future," He stated. "And I don't think I want to ask… but… Do they have temple oracles in the future, too?"_

"_In my time?" Ms. Katrina paused and then nodded. "Of course they do. The temple oracles now are called Rangers, and they have more technology then, so we travel all over the world to help people and Pokemon alike. You know, I used to be one."_

"_Really?" Ravio was surprised. "No wonder you know so much about the way of the temple oracle. But… why used to be?"_

_He watched his teacher's expression change, and he could see that she didn't really want to speak about it, "I guess I've resigned my position. Now I'm working for myself, really."_

_Ravio had never seen his teacher cry. She was a strong woman, and this was just from having lessons with her for at least half a year already. But he could tell if she wanted to cry, just from how her eyes would water slightly at the mention of anything about herself._

"_But that doesn't change anything, since I still work like a Ranger," Ms. Katrina said, looking up at the evening sky that was coming soon. "_

_Ravio could hear her voice choking, and he sputtered in embarrassment, hoping he didn't do anything wrong._

"_So, what's about next lesson?" Ravio asked, hoping she'd forget any sad feelings. "Will I be a great temple oracle?"_

"_Yes, you'll become a great temple oracle. You've got most of the basics down, and if you try hard enough, you'll pass the ritual, and you'll become a temple oracle. I'm sure your father will be proud of you."_

_Father… Ravio constantly thought about his father. His father hadn't been back for a while, though, and it's been a bit too long since he had any time with his own son. Was he a father anymore?_

"_So," Ms. Katrina turned on her heel, and Celebi create a large window of pale yellow, allowing her to step in. "I'll be leaving then. Good luck with your studies."_

"_I'll study hard!" Ravio nodded enthusiastically. "I'll make you say 'Wow!' when you get back!"_

"_Of course you will," Ms. Katrina smiled tenderly, and the door closed, and his teacher was gone._

* * *

><p>A distant hum in the café accompanied the soft swaying of the ocean from the open windows, the clinking of plates and cups being polished with careful hands. Most of the employees here were quiet most of the time. That is, until the first morning customer arrived.<p>

The doors pulled open, followed by the entrance bells, and everyone started paying attention to the first person to arrive into their café. One of the employees slipped the glass he was polishing behind the counter, not wanting to look too busy.

"I'm back! Oh, and just bring me the usual!"

The cashier blinked at the newcomer and noticed a Staraptor waddling in, its keen red eyes scanning around. Its partner followed, her yellow scarf bouncing on her back as she literally hop scotched to the counter, large brown eyes looking in familiarity. Everyone in the café recognized her and brightened at the return of one of their beloved customers.

"Summer!" one of them cried, racing out of the kitchen. "You're back!"

"Yeah," a girl with burnt orange hair laughed nervously, scratching the back of her head. "It's been a bit too long since I've been back. After all, Wendy and I went all the way to Unova."

"The Flying Ranger?" the cashier smirked. "That must sound like fun."

"It sure did," Summer grinned. The fact that she had a mission of with Wendy, the Flying Ranger, was quite exciting in its own way, even though she saw the woman a lot of times. After all, Wendy was her mentor, and quite the excellent shopping companion if they were on break at the same time. Summer clearly respected Wendy in every single aspect, even to the point of having the same partner Pokemon as she. By shaping herself like her mentor, she felt much stronger this way, and she would be able to really protect people and Pokemon with her strength.

"Here's the morning's fresh coffee, and the first one at that," the cashier smiled, presenting her with a steaming cup. Summer nodded eagerly and paid for it, and continued to strike up conversations with the employees gathered about the counter to see her.

Her parents had formerly worked here in the café prior to becoming Operators in the Ranger Union (and the two met here for the first time). The employees still remember her when she was a young child, so they welcomed her at all times, occasionally slipping in a discount if they felt like it. Although Summer was generally working alongside her parents at the Union as a Top Ranger now, she still felt lonely whenever they left for a business trips, and she tended to stay with these kind people at the café. After a few years, they've already stuck to her as real family. She's loved them all so much she's visited them first thing when she came back.

"Morning," a yawn coincided with the entrance bells jingling. Summer turned around on her heel when she saw Ben, entirely in his Ranger uniform. He seemed to have ambled the way here for the morning, since his apartment was not so far away from here. The boy tended to follow Summer to this café when they had time, and the café members welcomed him warmly.

The brown haired boy rubbed his eyes awake, and looked up at Summer and her Staraptor, blinking blearily. It took him a while before he realized who just came back from a month-long mission from Unova.

"Oh, Summer. You're back."

His voice was not as shocked as the others had been, but if Summer could listen better, she could hear the small jump in Ben's tone when he noticed her. She grinned, and started running at him, flinging her arms around his neck. From shock, Ben jumped, but calmed down to return the hug.

"You seem happy," he noted flatly, and the girl snorted in response.

"Of course I am! Why wouldn't I be happy to see my friend?"

Summer let him go, and then looked at the cashier, who seemed to already supply a cup of cocoa for Ben. All he had to do was pay. Ben advanced to the counter, money already in hand to give to the cashier.

"I was guessing you two would want to go for a walk," the man suggested as he took cash from Ben's outreached hand and started sorting out change. "So I prepared it a bit early."

"T-thanks," Ben stumbled with words, and he groaned inwardly. He was never good with words in the morning, with a jumbled mind like this. He joined his eager friend and partner and exited the office without a word.

The two of them were now strolling down Azalea Terrace, just ways away from the fishing harbor close to the ports of Pueltown. Ben was quietly grasping his cup of morning cocoa, reveling in the heat emanating from the single cup. Summer's Staraptor was soaring above, keeping surveillance on the entire town and its partner.

Ben looked sideways at Summer, who was pre-occupied with cooling her drink with her breath. Just watching her eyes focus only on something so simple made him feel like laughing, but he was far too kind to do something like that. The boy then noticed that they and street about them had become silent, save for the flapping of wings above.

"So, Summer," He began. "What did you do at Fiore?"

Summer looked up from blowing her coffee out, and gave a wide smile, something she had never really failed to do.

"Oh, we managed to go after some guys who were trying to steal some valuable Pokemon and sell them at an auction," Summer chirped, unseemingly aware of how morbid her words sounded. "It was really dark and dusty, where they kept the Pokemon."

"Oh," that was the best Ben could reply to the situation, and he returned to drinking his own cup of cocoa, leaving Summer to stare at the boy himself this time.

Many times, she have repeated to herself, this was not infatuation running through her veings, but pride and admiration for Ben as a Ranger. As the few people who were eager to graduate fast out of the Academy, they took the scholarship program for a quick promotion to the Union itself as Top Rangers. It was amazing for both of them, but Summer admitted to herself, Ben passed with flying colors, and she barely made it.

Whenever she contemplated her decision to be a Ranger, she knew she wasn't very fit for the job. She barely met physical standards, and she was lucky to have a powerful Pokemon partner like Staraptor. Being a young Top Ranger and having a powerful partner would make anyone drop their jaws, but Summer knew better than to gloat on that. She was only meeting standards, but Ben was beyond.

Summer never really knew of Ben's condition until a few months before they graduated when Ben accidentally made a large dent in the table with ease. It shocked the entire class, while Basil and Kellyn were rushing to the boy's aid, making sure nothing crazy was going to happen. This changed the tides of many of her views of Ben, but in a more positive view.

It was far too obvious. Ben was stronger than she, in a million to one. He could probably life boulders like heroes did, and he was always carrying those tonfa-things a close friend of his left for him one day when he was still at the Academy. It was merely a gift, but the boy was very good at using it. Summer had already lost count of how many times he was able to go through numerous criminals with just two wooden weapons like those. He must have practiced a lot, unlike herself.

Even to add to it, Ben did all this without the help of Pokemon partners. Sure, he had used Pokemon numerous times to get things done, but he had never truly had a real partner, much to the boy's chagrin. Summer saw it as a sign of just how much strength he had in himself, and no mere Pokemon would be suited to coincide with his abilities. Just you wait, she thought determinedly, you'll get a strong Pokemon to suit you, too!

All of these things about Ben and how excellent of a Ranger he was, and Summer was left far back on the road. She was just an ordinary Ranger, but Ben was extraordinary. There was startling difference between them, and Ben could have just run half of the Union without her need, but she had already decided. Summer didn't want to be the meek Operator behind the desk, constantly making calls. She wanted to be a Ranger, and follow the boy who had saved her six years ago. The memory of that time when the scary yellow-haired man launched an Electivire at her was still as vivid as ever, and she could still remember the sudden rushing of and crunching of glass as Ben stepped in for her, hurting himself in the process. It was the one breaking point that determined her decision to follow him, wherever he went.

"Summer."

Ben's voice snapped the girl back into reality, where she realized that they had walked all the way to the harbor of Pueltown, and she stopped dead, the hairs on the back of her head rising in alarm. The two automatically dove behind the crates. The Rangers exchanged glances with each other and begun crawling behind their little barricade of packaged wood.

They could hear murmured whispers, all of which sounded suspicious because no one ever needed to be quiet in the Pueltown, even in the harbors. Summer allowed Ben to take the lead and they stopped when they were at the end of the chain of crates. The voices were clearer now, but only in harsh low conversations. Summer peered round the crates and her eyes narrowed quickly as she recognized certain things.

A small flock of men and women clad in green and olive gray were hunched over a large crate, and began hefting it into the back of a small boat. They all wore caps with green emblazoned on the sides, and their arms were equipped with gauntlets. It was all too easy to recognize.

"I know these guys," she murmured under her breath, earning a small look of question on Ben's face.

* * *

><p>"<em>Ice, you might want to get the dust off that piano."<em>

"_Ri-Right…" the blue haired man nodded. "I must have not noticed that spot. Thanks, Basil."_

"_It's nothing," the smaller young man stared at the pot that was still cooking. They were busy, with housework. Much to their surprise, Basil's sister came back a bit too early from work, and caught them procrastinating on work. Now they were both condemned to housework, which Basil didn't mind, but Ice did with a burning passion. He'd rather that the Mr. Mime they had would do the work, along with the other Pokemon, but Kate was very adamant that he do the work instead, as a reminder for him to not do other things that disrupted work. The same applied to Basil, but she gave him a lighter consequence, which was cook meals every day. Was this some type of favoritism between siblings?_

_A turn of a newspaper was the only thing that made a noise other than Ice's muttering and the breathing of the cooking soup in the pot that Basil tended to. The third inhabitant of the house was sitting at the vacant dinner table, blue eyes flitting over an issue of the region's newspaper that came out the previous day. She had quite a lot to go through, considering that she had been away for a week, and she had little access to the current events from where she worked._

_Her brown hair was pulled back into one single short and rather stubby ponytail, and any brown locks and bangs were brushed aside by some hair clips she borrowed from her younger brother, who used them himself if his own hair got in the way of work. The woman wore many dark shades of gray and black under her dark gray trench coat, which had proved useful for evading bullets, judging from the several hollowed circles in the fabric._

"_Basil," she then asked. "Can you check up on Karen after you're done cooking? I think I might need Empoleon back for work tomorrow."_

"_Sure thing, Big Sister," the young man nodded, and he kept a note to himself to call their youngest sibling. Karen has been doing well for the past half-decade, traveling all over the world to pursue the title of a Pokemon Master. He had sent her a pair of bodyguards who were competent and kept her on par with the studies she could have gotten at the Academy… She was a year into the Academy when Kate went missing, and her parents made her pull out of the career path of becoming a Ranger, so she was instead going for something else._

_Karen had still been under the impression that only Ice and Basil live here, and _

"_Oh, Kate," Basil looked to his sister. "You know, Elaine and Ollie are having a wedding this weekend. You think you'll be able to come?"_

_Kate stiffened considerably, and glared coldly at her younger brother, wondering if he had lost his head. Briskly, she set the newspaper down and walked away, heading in the general direction for the grand garage. Basil wanted to ask where she was going so quickly to, especially since she had just come back, but she seemed to read his mind._

"_I think I have some business in the Vongola, so I'll be away for that time," she said shortly, and rounded the corner, leaving the two boys out by the kitchen and living room. They exchanged glances, hearing the hatchet to the garage opening and closing, and then went back to their work. If she came back again, she would check, and they would get in deeper trouble than they already were in. Besides, she didn't want to see them again. Especially not them._

* * *

><p>Phone calls from Keith Mustang were certainly a rarity for anyone in the Union, especially if he bothered to use the phone booths featured in the main halls of the first floor of Headquarters. While the Operator working nearby was blinking in complete shock, the redhead was impatiently tapping the side of the divider walls waiting for the receiver to pick up. He then heard a small click, and then more clicks<p>

"Ah, is this Basil Davies?"

"Yes, it sure is," a voice chirped from the other end of the line, and Keith nodded carefully.

"Um, you needed something?"

"Oh, yeah," Keith answered back. "I was going to ask you about inspection reports on your shipments."

"Oh, those?" Basil seemed knowing of the situation. "Um, yeah, I can send them to you. Apparently you Union people keep calling me about it. What happened?"

"Wendy came back just yesterday," Keith sighed. "There was a Pokemon smuggling ring that popped up in Johto, or Kanto… well, I don't remember. Either way, it's been exciting news around here."

"Exciting?" Basil was doubtful. "I don't remember you guys being so jumpy about a small smuggling ring."

Keith couldn't agree any more. If it was just a smuggling ring, they would have had it eliminated immediately, but this was a strong one, and their methods were… revolutionary, they way they captured Pokemon, if he could speak in Hastings's terms.

"Well, it's a special one this time," The redhead summed it all up. "And this time they seem to be using private companies to smuggle their things."

"Yeah," Basil replied in agreement. "We've been seriously patching up security and inspections these days. I've gotten a few short notices, and we've managed to find some of these bandits. Turned them in, but they don't seem to say anything, according to officials."

"That's what all criminals are like, Basil," Keith reminded his friend, rather surprised at the other's lack of experience about the subject. "They're not an honest bunch in the first place."

"I guess you're ri-"

"Basil," A newer voice distant in the phone said. It was made Keith startled slightly, and he tried to make out the type of voice. A woman, for sure, but it was rather deep, amd husky. Perhaps it was his secretary? No, a secretary wouldn't sound like that. Keith then heard a small hiss from Basil himself and then quick hushed whispers like 'Aren't you supposed to be out of town?' before the anonymous person made no more noises. The Top Ranger was puzzled entirely as to why Basil would be so fussy about his secretary walking in on a conversation with a friend, but this was his summer house phone line, so his secretary most certainly wouldn't be there.

"Basil?" He tried to see if the young man was still there.

"I'm still here," the reply came, but in brisk words. "U-um… I'm a bit busy now…"

"But what about the stuff I asked you about?" Keith questioned, but there was a small slam on the table, and he could hear Basil wince at the impact. Must be a large stack of papers, he thought.

"Look," the voice said. "You should be finishing these, and Ice isn't going to be here in the house for you all the time to remind you, so you're going-"

"Please!" Basil cried over the receiver and the woman's ramblings. "Shush! Do you know who's on the phone?"

"I'm not really caring at the moment, Basil," the voice continued. "I would love that you have time for your friends, but clearly, you need to get these done first. Work before pleasure. Didn't I already give you enough house work for slacking out on work. With Ice?"

Keith was feeling that he was now being completely ignored by the two people on the other side of the line as they continued to talk. They were still going at it, and suddenly it was just like an amusing soap opera Keith's mom would watch, and sometimes she would invite…

The thoughts cleared and struck him like lightning.

"Basil!" He shouted into the phone, startling the Operator beside the phone booths. "Basil! Answer me!"

"Look what you've done now!" Basil was still in a hissy fit before noticing the phone. "Oh, Keith? I'm sorry, but I'll have to call you back. Sorry, and goodbye."

"Basil-"

The phone line was cut off, and Keith resisted the urge to slam the phone back into its holder. It wouldn't do for him to break yet another of the Union's stuff again, especially not the gym equipment. But suddenly he was feeling alive again. He knew something again, and he could just see it. He heard her voice, and there was no mistake about it. Even in five years, and she might have changed, but it was easy for him to tell who it was.

Basil knew something about Kate, he thought. She was in contact with him, and it was the best chance for him to find her again. A week-long visit to Basil's place sounded like a perfect idea. Yeah, it would… As long as Ice didn't mind him coming in unexpected…

Plans, he thought wildly as he started cantering out to his apartment in Pueltown. He had to call Wendy. Wendy could take care of both Summer and Ben. And he had to call Murph for a small vacation. It was only for a week, but if he was good enough, he could push it into one week. Everything was set. The flame in his head lit up again, and he was feeling plenty more cheerful for the rest of the day, only thinking about that voice that he heard over the phone receiver.

* * *

><p>"<em>You are very strong, my queen…"<em>

_Kate bit her lip in frustration. How long was it going to be before the others come here? Were the cars in Orre really this slow? She thought her client upgraded them just recently, so it should have been a good model or something._

_The child sitting before her was sitting cross-legged on the floor, hands tied behind his back. The boy was glass-eyed, and made a feeble attempt to bore his gaze into her eyes, which almost glimmered in the dim light of the warehouse. The boy was in rags, and she was in black. He was restrained, with nothing to fight with, and she was armed, a Glock resting firmly in her hands. But both were sprayed in red blood, blood that wasn't theirs. The boy was of admiration, and she of disgust._

_Staravia pruned its own feathers as it perched on a metal stand, keeping a close eye on the child that stood before its partner. It was aware that Kate wasn't going to stay still for very long with this wretched animal sitting before her, especially when the cause of the child's behavior was something so atrocious. It was revolting, what they had done to the child._

_The encroaching silence was broken when Kate's phone rang. She dug into her pockets with one hand, and raised the gun at the boy as she searched her coat for the phone. She gave up, realizing she was not going to be able to find her phone in the abyss of pockets in here, so she resorted to using the small headset she had forgotten about just a while ago._

"_Who is it?" She asked gruffly._

"_Um, Kate?" Basil sounded shaky, but he was doing well with being calm, Kate noted._

"_Something wrong?" she drawled. She didn't mean to sound rude, but firstly, she was getting impatient and bored of this babysitting job, and she was all more ready to take out her frustrations on the first thing that talked. Sadly, it had to be her younger brother._

"_Ice and I found something interesting in the backyard," Basil answered curtly. "I think you'd want to see it."_

_The woman hesitated slightly. Her client was lenient, so she could probably be able to take off early when the first of his men came. Basil never sounded this shaky, so something was completely wrong. Panic tugged at her heart, but she knew better than to just run out of her job for family matters._

"_How fast?"_

_A small pause behind her brother's end of the line ensued. "Um… maybe half hour?"_

_Small calculations ran through her head, and she gave a nod that no one would really see. "I'll come as soon as I can, but you're paying for the gas I'll be wasting getting back."_

"_Fine by me, Big Sister," Basil chirped back, and the call ended on a good note. Kate heard the crunching of gravel as cars came from the ends of the warehouse. She gave a small goodbye through the phone before hanging up, and she looked at the child, who was still boring a steady gaze on her. She kept her gun raised at its head, making sure it wouldn't move._

"_I am your servant, my queen," the little boy continued to grin. "I will obey every one of your wishes…"_

"_Shut up, brat," Kate muttered at it. "I work alone, and I don't need little brats like you over my dirty work."_

"_But, my queen, you command me," the child continued to plead for its usefulness. "You should use me in any way you like. You are the Master of Darkness, and of Light! You are the Human of the Shadows!"_

_Kate didn't say anything, and continued to wait for her client to arrive. It would be of best interest for this child to stay alive, and she had to keep it that way… It would be of best interest…_

"_I will prove myself useful, master…" the child begged, and its forehead pressed to the barrel of her gun. "I assure you, no harm will be on your way. I love you. We all love you… I love you the mo-"_

_Kate wasted a full barrel of bullets in a matter of seconds. Now she was standing in the midst of a red puddle of what used to be the animal, and her Glock was smoking, with several spent bullet cases splashing into the sanguine sea that washed against the soles of her boots. It was not of best interest to keep the child alive after all. It definitely was not._

"_Way to use your gun, Kate," A small clapping came up behind her. "Way to go."_

_Kate turned around slowly to see a man with dark hair sleeked back under a black hat, his violet dress shirt tucked neatly under his black blazer. He stepped in the newly spilt blood with a flicker of glee in his interested eyes while his gloved hands continued to make muffled noises of applause._

"_They sent you by yourself?" The ex-Ranger drawled, eyeing the man with clear distrust. "Tsuna must be mad, sending a man you like here. Without personnel. Without the underboss."_

"_That's because he trusts me," The man shrugged, to which Kate scoffed in annoyance._

"_I doubt it."_

"_Well, I'm just here to see what you've done to the place," the man spun on his heel and began to pace the dimly lit warehouse. "Lights, please."_

_Kate heard the grunts of a few men, and suddenly the heavy lamps fixed to the ceiling of the building flashed on, and she had to shield her eyes from the sudden change of brightness. He hissed at the small burning in her eyes and the man's dirty smile. That bastard._

"_Wow," He said, looking at the sudden pile of unconscious men in the far corner. "You did some work around here. And I see some blood. Did they anger you?"_

"_Black Water seems to still be circulating around these parts of Orre," Kate answered briskly. She never gave a full "Yes" or "No" to the question. Her co-worker chuckled, reading her response as well as reading a book._

"_Surely you jest," he chuckled, and he looked at the dead child. Kate followed his gaze before snapping back up to reply._

"_He had no way of being cured, you know. "_

"_Well, yes…" the man mulled over the reasons. "Couldn't be helped…"_

_For once they had to agree. Black Water was no silly little drug, and one who was pumped with it would never have a chance to return to normalcy. Only strong adults would take two years to get better, but a child of seven years would have no chance whatsoever. Not with how much he received. His death was inevitable._

_Kate turned on her heel and began strolling her way out, leaving tracks of red behind her. The man noticed that she was departing, and gave a small shout for her, prompting the ex-Ranger to stop and look back at him, most annoyed that he was holding her back._

"_I need you to deliver something for the boss," he said, and he tossed a parcel, which she caught quickly. Kate looked at what she received and turned the package over. It was wrapped entirely in paper, folded neatly and tied with string. There was no name tag to give it to, but only a few numbers._

"_It's in Johto, Goldenrod City, right outside the Magnet," the man added directions. "You'll know whom to give it to when you get there."_

_Kate gave a grunt of approval before heading off outside. Staravia squawked and flew off its perch, swooping down from its place to join its partner. It gave one last distasteful glance at the man before looking back at its partner, who was nonetheless upset. This mission wasn't a very nice one, and it was sure that she was going to need a good amount of sleep to get through all this._

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** _Second chapter! Yay! And yeah, what's the point of hiding Kate if it's rather obvious she's staying with Basil, so whatever. Now we just have to watch everyone get together again. Also, the Magnet is just Magnet train station, if anyone asks._


	3. Not Much Substance

**A/N:** _Currently testing the use of footnotes. Anyone who likes the footnotes is free to respond._

**Tracks of Light**

**Chapter 3 – Not Much Substance**

* * *

><p>"<em>Watch your step, Basil."<em>

"_Don't worry, Ice. I've got this."_

_The two were traversing the more perilous parts of their home, or otherwise known as the deep trench all too placed precariously a few miles off from their summer house. Kate had once considered turning it into her base of operations, but after deeming a majority of its qualities complete hazards, she agreed to Basil's idea of building her quarters underneath the house. After that, the escarpment was left untouched only for the bravest of Pokemon to explore._

_So, why were they even excavating such a dangerous landform at this time? All the reasons point to the spectacular display of fire and smoke Ice had noted when he woke up this morning. The man had taken to waking Basil up to see if he was under some stupid illusion, and luckily he wasn't. Basil, of course, decided that they should check the place immediately._

_The smoke had died down considerably now, and the two men were having a hard time trying to find where it came from in the first place. Also, did they not mention how dangerous these ridges were? Basil had nearly slipped thrice, and had it not been for lucky reflexes on both parts, the great flourishing Davies Tech would have lost their invaluable CEO._

_They took a rough slide down the next slippery part of the canyon and spotted the bits of ash, and melted screws. A machine must have been the cause of the smoke they saw, they assumed. They sidled on the small natural walkway that was made only for a Stantler to cross, not a normal human being. They managed to find a good place of standing afterwards to catch their breath. Ice took the spare time to gaze up at the top of the cliff._

"_We're really far down," he noted calmly, prompting the other younger man beside him to glance up._

"_Hm, I guess we are… Oh, look."_

_They peered down to the side, and discovered an anomaly to the trench. A curious machine, one that strongly resembled a segway, lay smoking and battered on the small wedge it managed to place itself. Dents littered the once smooth metal surface, all designed in such refinery that made both of them fight back the urge to hug the machine and take it apart. Oddly enough, it had no wheels, so it was definitely not a segway. _

"_Well, I guess we'll have to find a way to carry this back up," Basil pointed singlehandedly at metal wreckage that they finally discovered. Ice agreed instantly as he took out a Pokeball for assistance. In the back of his mind, he probably should remind Basil to call Kate back as soon as possible. This would make a good dinner discussion of Basil could push the right buttons._

* * *

><p>"Suddenly shouting 'Hey' in the middle of a smuggling cartel? Bad plan. Really bad plan."<p>

A thwack in the nearest goon's jaw sent the poor man flying across the pavement. The Ranger showed little mercy to those who broke the law. However, their deeds weren't heinous enough to not lead the crime fighters into a disagreement of their own.

"You were the one who shoved me first."

Summer ducked under a near jaw-breaking move and rolled to the side. She wasn't an expert at landing hits on these bad guys, but she could at least avoid them. Staraptor went on the offense as it swooped down precariously on the shoulders of the henchmen, grabbing one by the shoulder, and dropping the poor man or woman on top of the barrage of others who were coming.

Ben was holding off on his own quite well, with his two good hands. The Ranger was literally going through these goons like a machine. As soon as another came right at him, one of his legs or feet would automatically spring up and land a good shot at the poor lad's stomach. Sometimes, he was jump over a whole lot of them, and just let them punch each other. Every single movement was fluid, unwasted, well-practiced, almost flawless. Indeed, he was starting to look like Keith on a rampage day, except without being vicious and bitter throughout it all.

Summer hunched over to let a man's punch miss, and she then attempted a small hook to the chin. The man reeled back considerably, but he straightened himself against her again. Strange, she thought, normally it still really was rare to find people who didn't use Pokemon to fight. Even though the need for dependence on Pokemon was starting to decrease, people still used them. Now she was beginning to wonder why these men and women haven't thought of attempting to take out Pokeballs of the sort, and just attempt to play battle with the Rangers…

Before she could get that thought process out of her head, Summer felt a very numb feeling in her stomach, and then his entire middle was throbbing really hard. She lurched over and noticed that a fist had connected with her guts, and she slumped to the ground, groaning [1]. She heard the content chuckle of the guy who managed to land a hit on her, and he was getting ready for a full round. Summer, clutching her throbbing side, was struggling to get up, or at least move away from the man. Her recovery would be difficult, but she was going to have to help Ben, or-

Then flesh clashed with metal. A morning shadow was looming over her head, and she looked up, noticing the flying yellow scarf. Ben was right there, clearly in the vicious mode. The goon he had blocked was appalled, his jaw dropping. His hands were shaking tremendously, and in just a few seconds, he staggered backwards, and went prostrate on the cement after a resounding crash. Summer was muttering in shock at just how fast that went, but Ben was not satisfied.

Suddenly, the boy was gone in the wind, and a beeline of henchmen was launched off their feet, followed by another troop of them. Soon, it was raining unconscious goons, and Summer could only stand as she watched Ben move in slightly more ragged steps, his arms flailing impulsively at the nearest goon that came at him, and his feet shuffling on the docks of Pueltown harbor. The sounds of grunts, gasps and moans came from all directions once the few that had the courage to stand up to the little beast that was unveiled.

Summer was then cast by an overhead figure again, and she saw Ben standing right above her. He looked a bit tussled up, but there was nothing that seemed harmful on his features. The Ranger had a few patches of dirt on his arms, but Summer didn't think she'd see those things again, the ones that were fitted comfortably in his hands: A pair of stainless-steel side handle batons, or as Ben liked to call them, tonfas.

She remembered Ben using them as he attempted to spar a bit with Basil after classes out in the lawn, but that was just for fun, and the boys were laughing as they attempted to bash each other's arms, only to stop when they were a few centimeters away. But weapons were weapons. The last time he ever had to use them, he proved to be quite more effective in taking down an entire town than a band of cops. Whatever drove the boy into using weapons, it scared Summer sometimes, and she really hoped that there wouldn't be too many times that he'd switch into the persona so violent…

"Summer." His voice was firm, but vexed. He was worrying about her, after all.

Summer looked up in surprise, and noticed that she was still sitting on the ground, arms wrapped around her stomach. The pain had receded, mostly, and the rest of her body downwards was regaining feeling again.

"Sorry, Ben," she said, and the boy nodded, his hand still reached out to her. Summer accepted it willingly, and she wiped the dust off her pants once she was back on her feet. She watched carefully as Ben quietly tucked away the tonfas he hid in his deep pockets, collapsing it to a nicer size, and began to get started in hauling the unconscious opponents into one area.

Summer always noticed that his tonfas were fairly clean, with little blood, but perhaps a few dents or scratches. Sometimes, the thought of it made her sigh in relief. She was glad that there wasn't any blood on it, if it could keep her sane, or Ben should be sane. Perhaps if she could be a bit better in a fight, then she wouldn't ever have to see blood stained on those tonfas, or Ben, for that matter. Just hopefully, and soon, she wouldn't have to be so weak that a strong young man like Ben had to protect her all the time.

"What a mess you've made, kids," a voice from above shouted. The two Rangers' heads whipped up to see a familiar teal-haired Ranger atop a Staraptor. She and her partner hovered down to the grounds of the harbor, right before the pile of knocked out goons.

"Nice job," she said briskly. "We'll get these guys strapped up and in the holding cells at the Union soon."

"Well, you're coming with me from now on, Benny," Wendy grinned, before earning a strange look from the boy. "Keith's not going to be available for at least a month, from what I heard from Rhyth. The grouch's finally bothered to take a vacation, managed to book a plane to see his family [2]."

"A vacation?" Summer raised an eyebrow, fully doubtful. "That's a first."

Ben nodded in agreement. His teacher never really took a break ever since Ben himself stepped foot into the Union as a Top Ranger. Everyone was so convinced he was a robot, constantly working as much as he could. Now his mind really wondered what made Keith actually get on a plane for relaxation?

"Well, if he's not here," Summer looked at Ben, and literally threw her arms around him, ignoring the rule of personal space. "We get to work together for a whole month! Isn't that great?"

The boy gave a small smile in agreement, and he placed his hands on Summer's arms. It really was nice, indeed.

"Yes. It sure is."

* * *

><p>"<em>Buizel, Water Jet!"<em>

_The orange weasel barked, and launched a stream of water at the flaming building. More water Pokemon were ambling forward, copying the Buizel's movements to take out the fire. Worried fishermen crowded around the barricaded area, murmuring amongst themselves or gasping at the anomaly. Regularly, there were never any fires in Pueltown, especially when anything flammable was placed in a building that wasn't made of wood. At least that was what Keith knew about the harbor…_

"_Keith!" Sven shouted as he emerged from the flames in a bulky suit and equipment. He was hefting a grown man and his wife, who were both unconscious. Somehow, the inn managed to catch on fire, and even worse, this week was an ideal vacation week for families. Sven was literally panting from carrying two people and a bucketload of equipment as well. His Luxray was coming back as well, a child clinging fearfully to its fur._

"_There's still two kids," Sven gasped for breath, setting the rescued couple onto a pair of stretchers that the Operators were pulling in as quickly as possibly. Keith listened carefully, keeping his eye on the fire. He didn't even need for Sven to issue any commands (not that he needed to). However, if this wasn't a fire, he'd already be slapping the man for thinking of saving the adults first instead of the children._

_Without any further ado, the redhead went charging like a bull into the burning inn. His Buizel, noticing that its partner was heading into the building, stopped its Water Jet, and went bounding after the Ranger, knowing that its water Pokemon friends would take out the fire well enough without it. The otter finally caught up to Keith, who had kicked down one of the doors to the room. He was shouting for any voices, just any sound that could be heard over the din._

_Buizel continued to take out any fires that were potentially hazardous for their way back once they rescued the children. It wasn't the best attempt to make a clear pathway out, but the fire shouldn't be able to get in the way for the next ten minutes. That was more than enough for Keith to find the children and bring them out._

_The redhead continued to rip through the house, calling for any signs of life that still remained in the catastrophe. He walked uneasily through the corridor, watching for any spots where the floor might have caved in to the basement below. He then reached a fork, and the young man bit his lip, wondering which way would spend less time in finding the children. Buizel was quite unsure, too, until it saw a bit of movement from the left. It scurried along that direction._

"_Ah," Keith was taken aback at the sudden actions his partner had done. "Buizel!"_

_However, something flew into his face, a bundle of feathers. He quickly backed away, attempting to swat away the tickling feeling on his cheeks, when he saw a Starly, flapping to keep itself afloat. It stared at him inquisitively, before turning around to curve aside to the nearest room, the same room Buizel had run off to._

"_Hey!" He shouted after it, and he broke into a run. Screw the caved in floors, he thought. He swerved into the room, nearly taking the door out with him as he stumbled in, when he saw Buizel attempting to chase something that was already at the window. Keith only blinked, and anything unusual was gone. The Starly itself was also missing, and he didn't even see it after it went into the room. However, Buizel was obviously excited. Whether the otter was angry-excited, or happy-excited, the redhead honestly couldn't tell, not with all this heat getting to him._

_Keith hurried to the window, and saw a not so far jump from into the alleyway. He waited for Buizel to climb onto his shoulder, and he vaulted off the ledge, landing roughly onto the cement. He hissed at the painful whiplash in his toes, but he took off running out to the streets again, following his Buizel._

_However, he returned to the front of the building again. And there was Sven, already standing with two children, all well and unharmed. Keith was confused, very confused. He strode forward, to see the children, and caught Sven's eye. The cowboy grinned, and gave his congrats by a friendly slap on the back._

"_Good one, Mustang," he said. "That's about everyone in that building. We've got the fire taken care of now."_

_Keith didn't answer, but merely surprised. He didn't save these children. It was someone else, but who? He looked at back at the burning house. It didn't help very much, considering that there didn't seem to be anything different about the front of the house. He doubted that any Pokemon were trapped in there. His gaze returned to the two children huddled under a warm blanket. The harbor could get cold in the night, and mornings, too._

_The redheaded Ranger knelt down to the kids' eye level, and stared at them. They were both twins, thus the near lack of difference between each other, but they both recognized his need to talk to them. They stopped staring down at the floor, and looked back at him, with full attention, one that only a little child could give._

"_You didn't save us, sir," the little boy whispered, very sure to correct everyone about it. Keith understood the reasons: a child's honesty. Sadly, convincing everyone else wouldn't be so easy._

"_I know," he said, nodding. "I know I didn't save you. But I'd like to know who was it that saved you in the first place."_

"_It was a man in black," The other boy chirped, quite eager to answer. "He looked like one of those cool guys in action movies. He reminds me of the action figures I got last Christmas!"_

_Keith was drawn back. A man? This should be intriguing._

"_Anything else? I'm sure the man who saved wasn't just wearing black."_

"_Well, we don't know," the first boy replied, adding a small shrug. "I guess he had sunglasses, too."_

_Keith nodded as the kids rambled on. There wasn't anything special and noteworthy after that, but he was somewhat befuddled. A man in black with sunglasses… this made all the more difficulty of identifying this person. It didn't even have to be a man, either, he thought defiantly. After all, the human mind can't possibly remember everything, especially during a fire where the details are often overlooked. _

_His mind then shifted to an analytical view. What if the children were wrong and it wasn't a man? What if their savior was a woman? A certain woman with a Starly as a familiar? No, no, he thought, shaking his head. He was thinking ahead far too much. Maybe the children were right… But the near assumption still remained… what if it was a woman? If it were, then all the puzzles would have been solved by now. And just then, things would have been shorter._

* * *

><p>"<em>Ladies and gentlemen, the Captain has turned on the Fasten Seat Belt sign. If you haven't already done so, please stow your carry-on luggage underneath the seat in front of you or in an overhead bin. Please take your seat and fasten your seat belt. And also make sure your seat back and folding trays are in their full upright position…<em> [3]"

Keith sunk back into his chair, and peered out the window. He was rather lucky that he managed to check into Boarding Group B, especially for a last minute trip. He was sure he was going to end up at the far back of the plane next to the attendant's station, so he was quite ready to brace himself for a restless flight. But Lady Luck decided to knock on his door today, and give him a window seat as a bonus. Wasn't that fantastic?

The redheaded Ranger stroked Buizel's fur as he listened to the announcements. The orange Pokemon was snuggling on his lap. The otter didn't like being on planes, since it was more suited to water and boats, but it didn't want to go sleep down in the baggage holds in a cage, so Buizel decided to stay with its partner.

It would be a while before he could sit back and relax for a mere vacation. There was no way he would take a rest, especially when he had discovered a breakthrough. The voice over the phone was quite clear, and it was the very spark of motivation that had started the motors in his head. He really liked how this was going, but there were things to reconsider.

After a day or two with his parents, and brother (coincidentally Ed had phoned in about a trip to Johto with his family), he was hoping to book another plane to Oblivia. Unfortunately, he didn't have much thought of trying to call Basil and announce he was coming, but he decided against it every time he thought about making that phone call. It was obvious that Basil knew where Kate was, and since this was his summer home in Oblivia, Kate most likely stayed there. If he was to make a call to Basil about visiting Oblivia, the boy would probably tell Kate, who'd run away. That wouldn't make things any easier indeed.

"Excuse me, sir, but would you like anything?" One of the attendants asked him.

"Water, please," he said, and the woman nodded before bounding away to the back of the plane to get his requested beverage. Keith resumed his survey of the vast ocean outside the window. He wondered how long it would take if he had taken a ferry instead. He had heard that they upgraded so they've gotten faster, and Buizel would have liked it better, instead of sleeping here on the plane. He really should have thought better.

"_You jump to conclusions a bit too easily," Kate raised an eyebrow at him. "I could have thought you're almost bipolar."_

Yes, he had a habit of taking things at face value and forgetting everything else about it, but he would gladly defend his reasons by showing how many times it has saved his life, and saved everyone else, too. Sometimes, recklessness had its benefits, and the redheaded Ranger was more than willing to make use of those good points.

His mind then drifted to the reactions. What would Kate do if he saw her? Or what if he found her first? He could think of all these many scenarios that he'd wish would happen, but the real thing would probably be entirely the opposite. She probably wouldn't come running at him and just going down to hugging and kissing him maniacally. Obviously, she wouldn't chirp a nice agreement to going back to Almia for a change. She wasn't that type of person who changes her mind easily, and there was a good reason why she didn't come back.

Perhaps Kate must have changed a lot over five years. Certainly, she would, if he was to imagine all of the things she could be doing in the dark, not that she had to. After a full-blown investigation of the entire case (courtesy of Keith himself), the Union managed to almost fully clear Kate's name as a murderer, and after some good research, that the case was fully justified, but that didn't stop the public from still defacing the name of the once hailed hero. The public wouldn't be able to understand nit-picky details that the Rangers and other Union members could have seen, and without those details, everything would become a misunderstanding.

So Murph, by then the Chairman of the Ranger Union, decided to let the media walk all over the Union's toes and constantly spit out lies that the television said to them. Newspapers were incessantly waist deep in words of vengeance and animosity towards the Hero of Almia, but very grateful and relieved that the Union discharged her from the place. It was a complete zoo, and a real joke, the television in the terms of that one case, so much that Union usually didn't even have television on those days.

The only honest person in the media at all was Hans and his own brand of news, which was still steady but not as mainstream as the others that began to bloom from attacking the case of Almia Tower. A trusted ally of the Union, Hans was one of the few men and women who helped the Union back onto its feet after the departure of Kate. Without him, the Union's name wouldn't have been restored to its usually popular reputation. Considering that this man was one of the few reporters who got along with both Keith and Kate back when they were still rookies, Hans was all more than ready to take Keith's word when the redheaded Ranger came walking into his office with a pile of things, all more than ready to just prove everyone else wrong [4].

"Kate's not like that," Keith remembered the reporter said while smiling. "I guess people out there aren't ready to take the harsh realities that peace isn't always so easily obtained."

Hans wasn't just saying it to make Keith feel better, either. This was the reclaimed Hans the Reporter, after all. The man had the guts to step into the war-ridden region of Orre and unveil the atrocities to the world just ten years ago, and with just one hour footage of the corrupted land, the awareness for reality rose rapidly, but it was dropped soon after once the few months passed... [5]

_"On behalf of Mistral Airlines and the entire crew, I'd like to thank you for joining us on this trip and we are looking forward to seeing you on board again in the near future. Have a nice day!"_

With a tired grunt, he got up from his seat, and waited for the two people beside him to move out. He then made his move to sidle through the narrow gap between the seats and out onto the walkway. Buizel leapt onto the seats and waited eagerly as its partner reached into the baggage compartment for his things. Keith wasn't planning on bringing very much. He was very confident that he'd be somewhere with a laundry service, so he could wear these over again. He could live off a few things more than most people.

He entered the airport, his luggage swinging slightly by his side. Buizel pranced on the other side of him, hoping to present itself as a loyal partner Pokemon a Ranger could have. He followed the mass of passengers out into the main entrance.

Keith couldn't say he wasn't feeling happy to see his family. How long has it been since he's seen his family altogether? One year? Two years? Everyone's been so busy, no one could arrange a good time to meet together. Keith was afraid he'd become estranged from his parents and Ed at this rate.

"Hey, dad."

"Hey," the officer smirked in return before placing a hand on his son's shoulder. "Nice to see you again. Your mother's been wanting to have a full family reunion this weekend."

* * *

><p><strong>Footnotes:<strong>

[1] Anyone has ever been socked in the stomach really hard before? I know I have. Well, it was a sparring match in a martial arts class, and my opponent managed to get her foot under my torso guards and literally kicked me in the gut. Needless to say, that feeling wasn't very fun. It hurt a lot, and the only reason why I was able to keep fighting was because of adrenaline (and rage… don't worry, we're best friends). Now that was just a person who was my age, had the same strength as I did, and was of the same body mass. Now imagining it's a grown man doing this to young teenage girl. Now that's going to be a while…

[2] Considering the existence of Basil Tech and possibly of other new companies, urbanization has caused the world of Pokemon to finally develop commercial airplanes (in fact, I don't believe they ever really been used in the game because it would defeat the purpose of "going on a hard long journey to become a Pokemon Master")… wait, there's a plane that exists in Pokemon B/W, but is that a cargo plane?

[3] I actually went and searched what an inflight announcement would be… Anyways, yes I deliberately filled the chapter with an entire thought process of Keith on a plane. Sorry if I really bored you on this one. Luckily, I italicized the announcements, so you can skip it, unless you are really really keen on looking into what happened over the 5 years (boring stuff with some social commentary on the side).

[4] One of the things I really like to do is give minor characters shining moments in my stories. They really deserve it, and sometimes also gives the excuse of not using OCs (lol). Because they are actual canon, but have little ground to work on, it's a bit easier to carry out your own perception of them (generally they're all good people somehow in my eyes). It sometimes makes me sad when the minor characters get put on a bus, never to be seen again, and all that potential of characterization is gone forever.

[5] Anyone ever realized how fast awareness about a serious issue can fade? Like, if a very bad disaster occurs on the other side of the world, everyone will go crazy for a moment, and then after half a year, everything quiets down, and you never really hear much mention of the disaster ever again. Well, I guess that's how the news works (they always have to find new things every month to fuss on). Also, a moment of silence for the lives lost in the Haitian earthquake in 2010.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **_Poor Ben doesn't have a Pokemon partner yet… I'm pretty sure everyone wants more action, so I'm probably squishing four chapters worth of meat in here. This is technically a bridge between the establishing shots and the actual plot. Shorter chapter, but I promise the next ones won't be as short. I'm not really feeling so well at the moment, so writing/typing might be stagnant for a while. Also, I've been quite fascinated with BBC drama shows… They seem to be much more interesting than the ones here in America. But as much as I would like to talk about how I can't seem to find good shows that aren't from other countries, I'd probably take an entire essay, so food for thought._


	4. One That Induces Sparks

**Tracks of Light**

**Chapter 4 – One That Induces Sparks**

* * *

><p>"<em>You know," Kate remarked as she swung the white cloth back and forth between her fingers. "You never really told me how these fire gloves work."<em>

"_I never told you?" The redhead blinked at her, and she shook her head. They had been quite busy, and they never really talked about their tactics when they were aching to keep their minds off of crime fighting on a break. Now that she had asked, Keith felt obliged to give a full explanation._

"_Well, here's how it is," he began, taking the gloves by just a small tug on his part, and he slipped one of them onto his right hand, leaning against the soft cushioning of Kate's sofa._

"_The air is full of oxygen, you see," He said as he motioned to the empty space above him. "What these gloves do is manipulate the concentration of oxygen wherever I want to. Take this fireplace, for example."_

_Both their attention changed to the unlit wood and he directed one of his gloved hands at the pile of kindling._

"_If I condense the amount of oxygen to the point of being combustible," He said, and he merely rubbed the tips of his finger together, creating a snapping sound, "I can make a small spark with my gloves, and fire is made."_

_Indeed, as soon as the spark appeared, orange flames bloomed from the fireplace, instantly warming the two of them as they held their breaths over the fascinating subject of instantaneous combustion. [1]_

"_It's technically one of the few 'magical' things that still work today," he mused, and he pointed to the embroidered red circles on his gloves. "These circles are the main cause of the explosion."_

_Kate raised an eyebrow deftly at the thought of something supernatural, and she merely nodded, still fascinated._

"_So?" Keith looked back at her, asking for approval._

"_How was it?" Kate looked up at him, placing more pressure on his chest in response. "Informative. I'm impressed."_

"_Well, my dad's better at this than I am," Keith laughed nervously. "He can hit bulls' eyes with these things."_

"_Well, he's done it longer than you," Kate sighed. "At least you give it some use while you're here in the Union."_

_Keith chuckled as he laid a hand on her back, thumbing through the folds of her sweater. "I sure know how to heat up a room, don't I?"_

_He received a small jab at his cheek, a playful gesture disguised as exasperation._

"_Don't push it," the girl warned him, and he didn't dare question her. When she asked for something, he'd best comply to her wishes, especially when it's her house they staying in._

* * *

><p>Goldenrod City was known to be one of the large industrial centers situated in Johto, now that the dependence of technology was on the move. The most prestigious electronics businesses had buildings of their own around here, and the prospect of high rise hotels were of truth. The once small town was expanding upwards into many skylines, just like the metropolitan region of Unova.<p>

This also meant that the Goldenrod police department got their tower, smack dab in the middle of the entire city. Apparently, the police were revered much more than the city council themselves. Now, with this, jean Havoc had good view of the city below, including the windows of the company building from across. It was quite the perfect place to eye those rather small pencil skirts that certain secretary from Poketch, Inc...

Thwack.

The detective was massaging the back of his head rather painfully. Again.

"Get to work, Havoc," the disapproving tone of his boss's youngest son was no better than that of Hawkeye. Havoc looked up from his desk and to Keith's scornful glare as he carried a rather large stack of folders and papers. The kid wasn't giving himself much of a break, the man thought, shouldn't he be on vacation?

"Sheesh..." he groaned. "Next time, use something that's not going to cause me blunt trauma."

"Then work," Keith replied rather bluntly. "Then no one will be hitting you on the head that much."

"Well, duh," the detective snorted indignantly. "But we're police. Didn't you know that we need a break from dying people and annoying thieves as much as you Rangers? At least be grateful that you got yourself a vacation. I'm not getting out until December."

Keith proceeded to the large wall of files and set his large stack down. He was quite adamant about not

"Didn't I mention I didn't want this vacation?"

Havoc stood up from his chair, his jaw dropping from he forbidden words he heard. "What do you mean you didn't want vacation? Don't you have something to do on your break? Like, a girlfriend, maybe?"

The detective watched Keith recoil at the mention of a girlfriend, and the older man bit his lip regretfully. He had just remembered that Keith "had" a girlfriend, and that didn't work out too well half a year into their relationship. It was that famous (now infamous) Kate girl, wasn't it? The one who was said to have saved Almia from the Dim Suns and uncover the Black Water Project, but then condemned to shame by the media after an uprising from the syndicates she had encountered before. It wasn't hard to figure out why she went into hiding, but Keith himself sure had a hard accepting it, even they had something worked out about it.

Keith was quietly glancing through the files he was going to sort. It seemed that there was less work for the police department these days considering that the details on the report were rather hard to believe. There was not much violence needed, the suspects were captured far too quickly, and condemned far too quickly as well. There were all sorts of cases: murder cases, smuggling, robbery, and abuse. Most of the recent cases involved just looking up information on certain people in their custody, as if someone had been handing out criminals out for his father. As it certainly guaranteed a rather decent holiday break for everyone at the department, it seemed that the risk of a police officer was now down to almost zero, now that the criminals were literally turning themselves in.

This is almost like that case I just finished last week, Keith thought to himself. Apparently, the gunman was already apprehended before any Rangers came. The man was pretty much handcuffed and knocked out on the top of the roof of a skyline, like a neatly wrapped present from Santa Claus. Whoever it was, Keith would surely love to shake hands with the person, maybe even offer recruitment. The Union could always use more competent Rangers in the field.

Havoc worked his way around the desk and approached the redhead, who was far too absorbed in his self-delegated work. It was unbelievable that Keith was inches taller than him, unlike his older brother, who was inches shorter than the detective. The man placed a hand on the Ranger's shoulder and received a cold response.

"Look," the detective gently pushed Keith aside to settle himself in the mess of papers and cabinets. "I'll handle these papers."

"But-"

Keith received a roundhouse kick to the door, so hard that he had to catch himself from slamming into the door. He glared back up at Havoc, who had resumed to staring blankly at his papers, still deciding whether he should start at all or not. Keith knew he was going to decide not to touch the pile, so he walked back to the cabinets to drive Havoc away from wasting five minutes of pondering. He easily pushed away the detective from there and sent the man staggering. Keith could hear the man scoff in response while seething at a sore spot on his shoulder. The redhead snickered at how his occasionally excessive strength worked wonders. Havoc must have caught the smirk on his face, since he scoffed again, throwing his hands to the air in defeat.

"You know what," he exhaled loudly. "Seriously! As your guardian-"

"You're not Roy," Keith shot back rather bluntly. He even tried to be subtly smug about that one, making the detective snort in disdain.

"Look. You need. To get. Out."

"And?" Keith looked at the man questioningly, as if they really weren't talking about his isolationist behavior on a vacation.

"You can't just lug around here at the station stealing the week's worth of donuts!"

Keith's eyebrows raised in surprise, "I don't remember eating any of the donuts any time I came here."

"Then who was it?"

"Breda," Keith replied, slipping a few files into an opened cabinet. "He lost a game of chess against Hughes, so he got depressed."

Havoc clicked his tongue exasperatedly, "I'll get him for that later... Anyways! You have to go outside and smell the pansies!"

This left the redhead skeptical, "Isn't it 'wake up and smell the coffee'?"

"Who cares!" Havoc raged at him and shoved him forcefully out of the office.

"Oi-"

"Guess what," Havoc hollered, clearly trying to get Keith's mind distracted. "Ed's going to be in town today with Winry! And weren't you supposed to have a family reunion? Pay them a visit!"

"Wai-"

The door to Jean Havoc's office was slammed shut in his face, and Keith was left blinking at the wooden slab for a few seconds. He mulled over the thought of jut crashing at his father's office, but he'd probably get the same response, so he assumed he really should go out and visit Ed and Winry.

* * *

><p><em>Ravio was an adventurous little boy. Despite his adoptive parents' warnings, he always found time to wander off from the path between the villages and meet the many creatures that dwelled in the canopy above him. Good thing he could climb. How would he ever live without his flying and climbing friends?<em>

_He leapt over a tree root and created clouds of dust by landing back on the ground. Stepping onto the patches of grass, he finally made it, his favorite tree in the entire forest. There wasn't anything noticeably different from the others around this one, but he could remember it all the time. Perhaps it was just a bit wider in the trunk, he would be able to recognize it._

_However, as soon as he curved round the web of roots to go to the first limb to start climbing, he noticed a Staravia swoop past him, its feathers threateningly brushing at his face. He sneezed at the contact, and he fell back onto the ground, his nose tingling with the sensation of sneezing again. Ravio got up again and spotted the Starvia standing on the first branch. It was glaring at him, but for what?_

_Before anything else could happen, Ravio heard a small sigh from the trunk. His eyes darted to the corner, and he held back a gasp. Usually he'd find numerous little treasures like lost trinkets left by the people of old, but this was the first time he's found a person, though. A complete stranger, at that._

_At first he thought it was a man, but when he was at this distance, he could see more noticeable curves only fit for a woman. Her brown hair was tied back, and her entire clothing was some shade of gray and black. It was a dodgy type of person, and the first thing Ravio could think of was attempt to run away._

_The woman then turned her head to look at him with bright blue eyes. A foreigner, Ravio noted. No one really had such blue eyes in these parts of the land. Everyone on the island had dark eye colors. The only time he's ever seen people with such light eyes were the ones who came in by ship to trade with the villagers here._

"_Ah," the woman finally talked, her voice rather deep. "A little boy. You seem to wear a lot of blue."_

_It must be her first time here, if she didn't know the way things worked around these villages, Ravio assumed. Usually, newcomers were introduced to the chieftains who would graciously explained the colors people wore._

"_That's because I'm the son of the chief of the Light Temple!" Ravio puffed in pride. "Anyone in my family wears blue!"_

_A small amused chuckle escaped the woman's mouth. "I see, and you're a proud little boy, too."_

"_Bi…?"_

_Ravio recognized that sound, and his eyes immediately move to the leaves that rested on the trees, where a green glowing Pokemon hid behind the branches. Instantly recognizing the little verdant creature, he gave a small exasperated sigh with his childhood friend._

"_Celebi!" He pouted. "You didn't bring her back from the future, did you? No wonder her clothes look all weird!"_

_Celebi only giggled as it fluttered down to the woman, who squinted to get a closer look at the legendary creature. She didn't say anything as she stroked its head with her calloused fingers, almost mesmerized by the bright glow emanating from the Pokemon. Ravio watched as the little Pokemon gave soft purrs, clearly liking the woman._

"_It's quite all right," the woman gave a small laugh. "I've dealt with this little guy before."_

"_Really?" Ravio was interested. Usually, only he saw the green Pokemon frequently. Tanvir and Kira have seen it a few times or so to know that it shows up a lot in this forest. Perhaps this woman was talking about time travel? That's one of the main things Celebi is capable of. So the rumors were true…_

"_Sure did," The brown haired woman mused. "One time it restored a forest that was burned down."_

"_Burned down?" Ravio have never really seen a forest fire, but it was easy to imagine. "That sounds awful."_

_The two sat in place for a few more moments, while the woman continued to pet Celebi, who responded with an affectionate cuddle on the acquaintance's lap. Ravio could tell this stranger was an ally, since she was so friendly with Pokemon. There was no doubt about it._

"_What's your name, miss?" Ravio asked, holding his hand out. "My name's Ravio."_

"_Me?" The woman sighed. "I don't really like to give out my name, but… you can call me Katrina."_

* * *

><p>It was almost nine in the evening when Summer felt a bit more lightheaded. Considering that she had been sitting in a near dark room for the past few hours with nothing else to do but stare at the uncooperative thugs they caught that morning. Ben and Wendy both had things to do, so she was left mostly to herself, save for Vato, who accompanied her, but the scientist really wasn't any good at interrogation or information gathering. The only useful thing he ever said was that their Stylers were going to get a new update, much to her joy. She was wondering when this new operating system they had would be less clunky.<p>

She did try many persuasion methods, all of which didn't really work. Well, she wasn't allowed to ask the big buff guys who had socked her in the guy that time, so she ended up with the crafty short tiny guys who sassed at every single word she said. Luckily, Ben turned out not to be too busy after all, and he burst into the room like a knight in shining armor. Somehow after that, they managed to finish the job in five minutes. Well, that was just Ben.

"Ah, Summer?"

"Hmm?" The orange haired girl stared back at the mentioned Ranger, who was seemingly already done with half his dinner. She hurriedly scrambled to catch by wolfing down a good spoonful of food. She swallowed, and quickly grabbed for a glass of water just to down it all [2].

"Tired?" Ben asked laconically, noticing that she was swaying over even if she was just sitting.

"You don't say," the girl drawled. "What took you so long trying to get to the room?"

"Well, I got sidetracked on a quest," Her partner laughed nervously. "Apparently, it's just some woman who lost her two Murkrow. Nothing serious. Well, you could have called me, and I would have gotten there sooner."

"Hmm, didn't think of that," Summer stabbed at her food for another spoonful. The rest of dinner was just attacking food and Ben being unsure of whether his partner was in the right mind to even eat at all. By the time it was over, Ben could have sworn that the cook slipped something in her food to make her appear almost drunk.

"I really don't get how you and Keith get through all these interrogations," Summer groaned, banging her head on the table. "How do you make them talk?"

Ben stiffened considerably, looking back at his new partner. "Um… the interrogation?"

"Of course, dummy!"

"…Would you like to know how I do it, or how Keith does it?"

"Both," Summer waved away, pushing aside her tray. "Or maybe Keith first. He's more experienced at this, isn't he?"

"Well, generally, he tries to talk to them, but that doesn't work," Ben narrated. "So in the end, he throws them at a wall, and if they get a broken rib, they'll talk, if they're still awake."

"Oh, that's effecti-," Summer sprang up and looked at him as if he had three heads. "Wait, what? I though we weren't supposed to hurt them!"

"We're not," Ben sighed, a bead of sweat running down his head. "That's why my teacher is never really allowed in the interrogation room very much anymore, even if his success rate is just so high."

"Then," An embarrassed Summer slumped back in her seat. "What do you do?"

"Oh, I just ask them questions like anyone else," Ben answered quite blatantly. "They generally tend to open up to me a bit more than my teacher."

Somehow, this created a massive bubble of silence. Well, it was true. All it took for Ben to get that shorty of a pest to talk was just a simple question. It was almost not even humanely possible. Was Ben some sort of god, just talking to people and getting answers so easily? Summer could only slam her head back on the table again.

Confused, Ben gave her a raised eyebrow, "I guess you like my methods better?"

"Um, yeah…" Summer nodded nervously, mouth twitching. "You could say that."

Frankly, there really wasn't much difference in the effectiveness of both those boys' interrogation methods. How was she supposed to learn anything from either of them if both of them were just so weird like that…?

* * *

><p>"And then there was a big giant slab in the middle of temple! And bang! It disappeared!"<p>

"Yay!" A young girl with dirty blonde hair was giggling as her uncle tickled her and continued his captivating story. Buizel was prancing around on the floor, making a silly dance around Nina as she giggled incessantly. The little girl's parents were sitting by the couch, admiring the strong bonds their child had with their relatives.

"Well, that's all I can tell you for now," Keith smiled at little Nina [3], who whined for the next part of the story, but Winry picked her daughter up.

"Now, now, Nina," she chuckled. "Let's give uncle Keith some time to catch his breath. He sure was running about the room with you when he was telling his story. How about we get started on something else?"

The little girl pondered before nodded furiously. "Okay, Mommy!"

While the two brothers watched them stroll off to the bathroom, Keith looked at his brother, who sighed in content. The archaeologist was on his vacation as well, and after being swamped with work from Professor Oak and Rowan, he hadn't really had much time to spend with family. As for Winry, he had finally popped the question three years ago, and they had a decent wedding to go along with it, which Keith was happy to attend. Then Winry was pregnant with Nina soon after, and the entire family rejoiced the incoming of a new life. Keith and Ed would never forget the time when Ed's house in Unova was literally buried in baby shower gifts, and many guides about raising children. It was so bad. Winry's workshop was temporarily closed down to tuck away the excessive gifts they received. Now that the new family frenzy was over, everyone was "normal" again, and the best they could do now was talk.

"So, 'heard you're pretty much a commander in chief at the Union," Ed grinned, and his younger brother couldn't help but just nod in confirmation.

"Well, Murph can't handle everything by himself," The redheaded Ranger sighed. "Rhythmi's been helping, too. With Erma retired, Murph doesn't seem to have the same metabolism as Erma to take care of everything like Erma did as Chairperson. He's learning, though."

"Well, things change, people change," the blonde mused, taking a small glance at the closed bathroom door. This hotel room that they were sitting in wasn't nearly as spacey as his own living room in Unova, so there really wasn't much to show off. Keith was busy glancing every once or so at his watch, closely wondering how much time he spent telling little Nina a story. Buizel snuggled onto his lap, earning a few strokes on the back from its partner.

"Oh, by the way, got a call from Basil," Ed added, sparking attention from Keith. "He asked me about runes in Oblivia and the like."

"Well, you were the one who did a small expedition there last year," Keith followed up, earning a nod from his older brother.

"Yeah, that… So, he was asking about the 'Monoliths.' I had to apologize to him because I didn't have anything that could help. I did redirect him to a local archaeologist there. Good friend of mine, actually."

"Oh," Keith nodded as his brother lay back on the couch.

"But it's weird," he said. "Normally Basil wouldn't even deal with that sort of thing. I wonder if he's just a fanatic about history, or something."

"Perhaps…" Keith replied faintly, wondering about the topic of Basil and Oblivian ruins. He then looked back. He had spent an ample amount of time already. He got up from the couch, with Buizel pouncing off and gave a last look at Ed.

"I guess I should get going now," he said. "I've got my own hotel room to go to."

His brother understood, and gave a farewell gesture: a nice slap to the back.

"Well, thanks for visiting me, Keith," Ed grinned, and his younger brother smiled back. He then confused himself when Ed's smile suddenly faded.

"Oh," his older brother slapped his own forehead. "I forgot! Wait here! I've got something for you!"

The blonde retreated to the closets to get something out of his suitcase, while Keith slunk back out of the bedroom, retreating into the main hall. He was ready to grab his coat when he felt a tug on his finger. He looked to see little Nina grinning up at him. The little tyke was far too adorable, he just had to squat down and stroke the child's head. The little girl thrust a package into his arms, and he stared dumbfounded at it, and Buizel squealed in excitement.

"They're the cookies we baked," Winry said as she approached him from the hall. "We heard you were here, too, so we thought we could bring some of the ones we baked home to give to you."

The redhead felt warm all over, and gave a small smile. Family was family, right?

"That's… very thoughtful," He said before getting up. Buizel obediently pounced onto the drawers and leapt onto Keith's shoulders, before the Ranger turned around fully to both his brother and his sister-in-law.

"Well, it was nice to see you once in a while, Ed," he said, and he received a large goodbye before taking the door behind him. He was out of the hotel in minutes before he was ready to head across the road to his own. Buizel was nuzzling the side of his neck, tucking itself behind his collar for warmth. Summer days in Johto were hot and humid, but the nights were chilly and cool.

He headed for the traffic stop when he glimpsed a flash of red, and blue lights passing his line of site. The Ranger was then treated to a beeline of police cars whizzing by. His startled Buizel was literally digging into his shoulder with its claws, but it then relaxed when it realized that the cars weren't going to run them over. Keith waited patiently for the group of cars to go by until he saw one of the cars slowing down. Peering into the windows from the distance, Keith could see the familiar combination of black hair and blonde hair, and the flourishing of white gloves.

"Mom and Dad?" He muttered under his breath. "Now what are they doing in the cars this time?"

Buizel made a small noise before running down the street in the same direction of the police cars. Keith reacted quickly, and began sprinting after his partner Pokemon, hoping that his partner's instincts told him something big was happening. A Ranger like himself just couldn't miss out on something like this.

* * *

><p>Staravia chirped silently as Kate's boots clicked against the marble floor. The Magnet Train Station was fairly empty for the most part, considering that most people didn't travel in the evenings, and it gave her a larger scope to fish her supposed new client. Kate considered that it was ridiculous that she was taking too much of her time delivering something small as a paper box along her way when she speeding home. Much to her own frustrations, she didn't even bring a decent flying Pokemon that could sustain her weight if the plane broke down. Stupid, wasn't it?<p>

She tugged on the rim of her hood and continued to scan the area. No one was really making much eye contact with her, so they couldn't be the person she was looking for. Perhaps the recipient was late or he went on a break to the restroom. If that was so, she would have to wait, using that time she really couldn't afford to lose.

She paced the area carefully, watching the few people quietly exiting the room. By half an hour, the train station was literally vacant, and no more trains would be coming into the station any time soon. It was the perfect environment for a smooth and quick transaction.

However, where was the person? Kate was beginning to feel stalled as her gaze flitted between the different entrances. She even gathered to look up at the ceiling to see if the client wanted to be funny with her and leave her hanging down here for no reason. Perhaps… there was no client at all… a set up?

Kate's suspicions were confirmed when she heard the sound of sirens coming her way. The woman pursed her lips in response to a troublesome occurrence. Whoever she was supposed to deliver this package to better get here, or else they're going to have some explaining to do when she delivers them a fist sandwich. The ex-Ranger glanced back at the parcel and reached for the strings, ripping apart the paper wrappings. There appeared a cardboard box, and she quickly pulled apart the flaps… to find that it was empty, save for a few packaging peanuts. Damn bastard, she thought.

The police cars that were rolling in weren't going to be much assurance either, and she looked down to the streets to see the faint blinking of their headlights just around the corner, and perhaps some officers were running by foot into the train station. She needed to start running now if she wanted to get to her plane parked on the roof of the next building. Honestly, Kate had to agree she was getting rather lousy these days.

However, before she could begin running, she heard a squeaking of shoes behind her, and she didn't turn around. The sudden tension of the atmosphere thickened considerably, enough for Kate to realize she was being pointed at with a weapon.

"Don't move," A young man's voice growled, and she did stay still for a moment, clutching the empty package in her hands as dead realization sunk in. That bastard really did it now, making a prank like this.

"Shit."

* * *

><p>Keith was panting when he reached the sudden cluster of police cars just outside the Magnet. He could see his parents standing outside the ring of cars that were blocking the exits. Was someone in the building that they needed to catch?<p>

"Kid! It's dangerous to be here!"

Keith snapped his head around, ready to remind the unlucky officer that he was a grown man, not a lanky teenager, when he met Breda, who was literally trotting towards his direction. The man recognized the man and stopped, blinking.

"Oh, it's you, Keith."

"What's the situation?" The redhead demanded, and Breda shrugged looking back up at the windows of the station.

"Well, we've got a tipoff of that smuggling ring that's been around these days, and there's been alerts of suspicious characters around the station. We've already evacuated the place, but we're still kinda thinking that our fish is still in there."

"Fish, huh…"

He looked up at the windows and then the world slurred itself, and he was under a split-second. He saw the small movement of cloth behind the windows. A robe, or a dress, but of black cloth. Something was there…

He blinked a few times. That surely wasn't the glare from the city lights he just saw. Someone really was in the building.

"Buizel, let's go," He muttered, and then suddenly, he went taking off into the alley beside him, with Breda attempting to shout at him to come back, but his voice was drowned out as Keith curved around the alley. Keith slid to a full stop, noting the back door. A shame that his dad didn't send anyone through this door, he thought triumphantly. Quickly, he slipped under the bars of the stairs, and wrenched the door open, which wasn't that hard, even if it was locked.

Buizel scampered in first, and Keith closed the door behind him, and went running after his partner Pokemon. They ran past the vacant reception desks and to the next floor, right where the tracks to the train should be placed. Sure enough, there really was someone there. The stranger stopped when he started charging onto the second floor, and he slipped his flame-inducing gloves quickly.

"Don't move," he growled, and he heard a small scowl from the person, and a small malediction to go with it. The person was hooded, and had a rather long black coat. Body shape was difficult to tell from behind, so he wasn't sure if it was a woman.

"Shit."

It was a low grumble. Most definitely a woman, he confirmed.

Before he could think any further, a fistful of white and gray feathers flew into his face, and he was left clawing at a squawking bird that must have been that of the woman's Pokemon. He pushed it aside, while Buizel took the chance to pounce on what both of them realized to be a Staravia. Keith turned back to where the stranger had stood and observed that she was gone. He whipped to the exits and saw that she was heading through the station directly on the train's tracks.

"Oi!" He shouted after her. "Wait!"

Naturally, the woman didn't listen and he took it upon himself to pursue her, leaving their partners to engage in a wrestling match back at the station. He jumped onto the tracks but was exasperated to see that the stranger was already miles ahead? How fast was this woman?

Clicking his tongue, he crouched into a stance and pushed off the ground, breaking into a run only Black Water could ever give him[4]. He was zooming through the tunnel at breakneck speeds. The redhead could visibly see the distance between them closing in. He reached one hand out to see if he could hold her back, perhaps grab her hood, should he need to see who this stranger was. However, he nearly assumed that he ran too fast, and he had surpassed the woman. He slid to a stop to see that the she had stopped way before him.

Both of them were very still, eyeing each other carefully for an opening. Keith realized that he had finally been blocking the woman's means of escaping. But, oddly enough, it was difficult seeing her face when her hood was pulled over so far out. All he could see of her face was her nose and lips. There was nothing much to distinguish there.

"Who are you?" Keith shouted. Of course, she didn't answer. More like she was quite frozen.

"I'm asking again," The redhead followed up. "Who are you, and why are you here?"

Before he could fire off more questions, the woman raised her fists. So she wanted to fight. Fine. He'll respect that. He watched as she began charging without any attack plan whatsoever at him, and he held his hands up to brace the impact. When fists collided with arm, the Ranger's feet slid back a yard. Keith managed it, but he was not expecting the almost inhuman amount of strength coming from someone this size.

Puzzled, he gazed dumbfounded at his own hands, wondering why he was pushed so far back but he narrowly ducked under a powerful roundhouse that could have lobbed off his unsuspecting head. [5] He swung his legs out from under his crouch and took the split-second chance to sweep the attacker off his feet. Much to his frustration, the woman sensed his incoming feet and leapt over him.

Knowing that staying on the ground wouldn't help, he pushed himself up onto his feet, his arms raising up to catch the next kick that was sent flying. He wrapped his arms around the woman's leg, not willing to let go, but she retaliated with a rather risky double onto his head. He feel the rather painful crick in his neck when her foot literally smashed into his face, and his slackened arms let her foot go, allowing her to soundly roll onto the floor.

Keith wiped the small bit of saliva off his mouth as he surveyed the woman once more. She didn't seem to be running away just yet, as if this fight must continue. She had the chance, so why didn't she run away already? More importantly, why hadn't he thought of that kick coming at all? He was getting far too soft.

The redhead gave off a low growl and came right back at her, this time taking the initiative with a punch. Much to his expectations, his opponent caught it deftly, and continued to push forward. He followed up with a combination of kicks and punches, giving her little time to retaliate. They weren't powerful, but the flurries of attacks were pushing the woman back. Now, they had entered a room that did not belong to the tunnel of the closed subway. With little hesitation, he went for a strong haymaker to her head.

Then the impossible was right in his eyes. He was almost sure that she literally flash-stepping like what most heroes did in those comic books, and she evaded his big attack almost too well. Now she was only a few feet away from him, hood still secure (if that was even possible), and no injuries sustained. Keith looked at her, bewildered.

She was able to keep up with him, which was impressive, considering that few people with Black Water could even last a match of minute with him. But now she could really match up to the finest of his combat techniques. This was not something any normal criminal would do. It was almost as if… she were under the effects of Black Water herself.

"Who are you?" he asked again. Still, he got no answer, and only a small shifting of the feet. Keith was slowly losing impatience against the silent treatment.

"Answer me!"

And yes, his demands were replied by a gesture. The woman reached into her pockets and drew out a piece of cloth, marred by a series of red markings, probably a large circle, if Keith could see any better in this awful lighting. She held out the cloth, and with her fingers came the catalyst.

Suddenly, a small snap.

The last thing Keith could see was a small spark traveling towards the engines. He gasped in recognition, and quickly spun away to avoid whatever disaster would occur. Buizel squeaked in fright and pounced onto his shoulders, its claws digging tight onto his jacket. He was suddenly speeding through the long tunnel by the will of extended stamina, and he saw the starry night visible through the long wall of windows. He leapt forward, realizing he was going to regret the many cuts he'll be getting by crashing through a window.

Not that the explosion that followed helped matters.

Now, in those few seconds, Keith was flying in the fresh air of the night, his eyes closed tight, and his ears lost in the noise that drowned out the calls of startled policemen who saw not just any person, but their chief's son jumping out of a building after an explosion. The Ranger was tempted to do a few twirls like he was diving off a board into a pool, but his thoughts were cut short when his body landed on the elastic trampoline the police hurriedly set up.

"Keith!" The rather harsh scolding of his father continued now a few minutes later, and Keith lazily explained what happened. It wasn't complete truth, but it made sense. He managed to find the criminal, who supposedly set up a bomb in the train station, but the stranger escaped before he could catch him. It was believable, but his mother was concerned and wanted him to go through a small run through with the paramedics who had just arrived.

As he sat on the back of the open van for the medics to check his slightly bruised face, he continued to let the facts sink in. He had suspected from the very start that it was Kate after all, judging from that voice, but he guessed that she realized he caught on, and chose to remain silent for the sole purpose of not revealing any more details. However, she gave it all away by the rest of her actions.

It was glaringly obvious she should have run away when she had gave him a rather generous amount of kicks to his face, yet she stayed. She continued to fight him, and parry with his moves, as if she had enjoyed fighting with him, as if she were sparring a partner she knew very well. It didn't take long for the redheaded Ranger to understand what she was doing.

And lastly, the cloth. He was almost sure it was one of the arcane circles only people like his family would use. His relatives weren't that involved in law enforcement, so there was no way they'd be here (besides, his own family was considered the most physically fit of the entire extended family anyways). And fire alchemy was only limited to just a few people to use, most specifically, him, his father, and his brother. Not really many people know how it works, and being able to control flames like that was almost uncanny, even if one knew how by just learning from a book. Well, maybe except for one, like Keith had remembered.

"You feeling better, Keith?"

The redhead looked up at Hughes. Somehow he managed to ditch his desk job today, and avoid Roy's wrath. Keith only looked at him doubtfully.

"I'm fine," he said flatly. "I don't think I even need a shock blanket. Not like I was getting forced to take poison or being threatened by terrorists."

"Well, we have methods to follow," The Inspector sighed. "Anyways, how in the world did you get in there?"

"Back door," Keith leaned back onto the hanging doors of the ambulance. "Easy to get in before all of you could bar off the place."

"Your father figured you'd do that," Hughes remarked. "He had to hold off the force while you were in there with the bomb. Was it difficult?"

"Sure," Keith said, lying evidently as he looked at his Buizel, an idea hatching. "The bomber put a mercury lever on it. Buizel accidently jostled it, so we were forced to abandon it." [6]

"I see," Hughes nodded according to his word. "Well, wanna know what we found on the roof, kid?"

"What?"

"Remnants of fuel," The answer was curt. "Seems like a plane or some vehicle of some sort was on the roof. Hell, even Falman managed to track a bit of its trajectory thanks to the small exhaust trail it leaves."

A piece of the puzzle snapped in place. So there was the same plane, after all.

"Where was it heading for? Did Falman realize that already?"

"Well, not really sure, since these are hard to estimate…"

"Well then?"

Hughes looked at his godson's expectant face.

"If Falman's calculations are correct," Hughes stroked his stubble. "I'd reckon that little plane is headed straight for Oblivia."

Keith's heart skipped a beat at the sound of the region. There was his chance!

"Right, tell Dad I'm leaving tonight. Got some work to do."

* * *

><p><strong>Footnotes:<strong>

[1] For those who have no clue as to what Flame Alchemy is… yeah, it's from Fullmetal Alchemist. I try not to put so much influence of cross-overs that could be pointless… unless someone knows of a better way to have Keith match up with Kate being awesome. Oh, and there's fluff on the way.

[2] Come on, there's got to be that one moment when you eat food too quickly, and you realize you're literally choking. Well, I've been known to eat too fast, but no one ever really tells I'm choking because I'm not beating at my chest and I chug water to hide it. Kinda morbid, but true.

[3] All right, FMA fans, you know why she was called Nina.

[4] Black Water, if you remember, can greatly enhance one's abilities. Considering that both Kate and Keith did get injected with the thing in 'Shadows of Almia,' it's kinda obvious.

[5] I wonder if anyone really gets some of the fighting terms I'm talking about. Mostly because, a lot of fight scenes I see written on don't get too detailed (just punches and kicks to certain locations). Well, if someone is confused with the moves I talk about, searching it would be a good idea. In order to enjoy any of my stories in general, a rather wide vocabulary is recommended.

[6] Not sure if a mercury lever would even be any meaningful for something like this.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **_And ha! Didn't think he'd be able to catch her so easily, did you?_


	5. Thoroughly Unwelcome

**Tracks of Light**

**Chapter 5 – Thoroughly Unwelcome**

* * *

><p>Falman must be one of the most reliable men on the force, Keith had to say. The man was polite, had loving children, whom he doted mildly in return. He didn't gamble on chess or shogi, he never ever fell for the charms of women, and he was a master at all things electrical (Fury wasn't so bad either, but he was too naïve). To make things better, Falman had all the connections the force needed to combat crime. And by connections, he meant the very large expansive database of almost every major criminal organization.<p>

Most of these organizations usually stayed low and performed no operations on a grand scale, while the great big fishes were up in Orre. No one really tried to approach Orre after the full-time corruption that blew up its government. Now the place was no man's land run by the mafia. But just because the region was ruled by the mafia, that didn't mean there weren't any heroes, and not all mafia families were very hostile at all. With this sort of balance, there was little reason to approach Orre and restore any form of government when the situation was under control.

What caught Keith's eye was the great and powerful mafia families that seemed to own the region. Most of these families were, of course, rather vicious and inhumane, while a few of them were very non-violent, and more geared towards justice. Surprisingly, there was no war waged against each other for their views, but tensions do run high when one family thought ill of the other.

Keith noticed that for the past few years, the Vongola Family seemed to be entirely active, and been working hard at establishing themselves. They were very organized for a criminal organization, and they maintained most of the peace in Orre. Sure, they had some dealings in weapons and the like, but they absolutely despised Pokemon trafficking. Any attempt of such a thing was literally death if done within the family, and most of the families they've taken out had been knees deep in the situation. Keith never liked the idea of poaching Pokemon, either, but he could see that this might be a little overkill. Aside from the other major crimes that were going on around Orre, they were far too straightforward about the poaching. Must be something big if a powerful family was only releasing cannon fodder on one little issue.

Buizel nudged into his side, perhaps urging his partner to get some sleep and rest before the plane landed. After all, the flight would be a long night, if the trip from Almia to Kanto took half a day. He shut off the Styler and looked out at the endless oceans. It's been like this for two hours already, and his feet were getting numb from sitting in the same place for said time. Buizel must be right. He might as well get some sleep while he could because he was sure he wouldn't get any sleep in the next few hours. He was flying off to Oblivia, and would begin his investigation here.

* * *

><p>Another day just as exciting as the rest, with Sven returning to the Union from a long-term mission from Kanto, Ben and Summer's duties of guard duty on the band of poachers were relieved, and the two Rangers were free to roam the cities on a casual patrol. With the recent notice of poachers hiding around the ports in Almia, Murph had been calling back most of the Rangers normally based in Almia, save for Keith, who still seemed to be on vacation. Maybe the Chairman wanted to equalize the amount of forces here in Almia with Keith away on a break. Either way, Ben couldn't help but agree with Murph when in mention of his teacher. Keith really needed a break after relentlessly trying to balance his duties as a Head Top Ranger and his search for his lost friend. Who knows, Now that Keith was not busy being a Ranger, he's probably performing a full search for that woman now…<p>

"Hey, look at that," Summer pointed at the line of retreating Marill crossing the stone path to the nearby river. They had been on a long day of patrolling, and should have taken a Staraptor back, but Summer wanted to give her partner a rest, and she preferred the Union Road, now converted into a long walkway park that stretched for miles. It had been built recently thanks to the wonderful donations of Davies Technologies and Altru, Inc., and the public seemed to enjoy the creation of an expanded park. Even the Pokemon were positive about the interactions with the people who visited. Summer always liked to go through this park and met a Pokemon. Ben had learned this for two years. The girl liked Pokemon and would gladly give her life to save one, so much that Ben had lost count how much trouble the Ranger got herself into.

Ben stopped to watch Summer stare at the family of Marill, who jumped into the river one by one, with one parent in front, the children in between, and the final parent diving into the water last. Ben continued to walk steadily behind her as she began to skip back and forth on the road and point at the Pokemon that were still awake in the evening. Whatever happened to her complaining about tired feet and lost energy, Ben couldn't think of how to answer that question.

They were finally at the end of the stairs to the Ranger Union, where two Operators stood on standby at the door to attend to anyone who came in. The building had expanded twice its size from five years ago, with more facilities and lab space for Hastings to blow things up without causing too much of a commotion. But the Union was the Union, and the two Rangers treated the place like a second home, right under their own homes and families.

Ben had begun to notice that the Operators at the front door were more casual as usual, not standing as stiff as a board whenever he returned from a mission. The first thing Summer did was gasp and then she beamed at Ben, who was still trying to figure out the reason why the Operators were too laid back than they should be. He didn't happen to notice till later a third person, one of brown hair, exactly his own height (if not a bit shorter), and the recognizable old-school classical Ranger uniform from five years ago. Kellyn.

"Hey, look who's back," Summer grinned, and ran over to Kellyn, hoping to ambush him from behind. Ben decided to stay quiet and watch the antics that would ensue. Back at the Academy, he didn't really learn that the two of them did know each other for a while before, which did spark some animosity between the two boys, but after learning that they were cousins, his jealousy was immediately relieved.

Kellyn noticed the approaching Ben, and gave him a light smile, a very tired one. His partner, Pachirisu, was clinging to his shoulder, and let out small sparks of excitement as Summer began to chatter on about how much everyone had missed Kellyn.

"Hey, Ben," He waved to Ben. "How's it going back here while I was gone?"

"It's been quiet here for a while," Summer cut in. "Come on, it's cold! Let's go inside, and talk at the cafeteria! I'll save a table before dinner starts!"

The auburn haired girl ran into the Union and ran up the escalator, nearly knocking over a flustered Operator and a few Technicians on the way. Pachirisu, too carried up in the excitement, bounded after Summer, also causing havoc in the front lobby. Ben and Kellyn could only chuckle at how excited Summer and Pachurisu were for Kellyn's return.

"Well, we shouldn't leave Summer waiting," Ben added, remaining as cool as possible. Kellyn must have had a long day, so having very impatient friends jumping on him all at once wouldn't be a good experience when coming home expecting a nice nap.

"Oh, okay," Kellyn laughed nervously. "I guess I can ask Sven to debrief later."

"He already did that this morning," Ben shrugged as the two walked through the sliding doors. "Told us everything to a T. He said that you had to stay back in Kanto for a little while, for business. Got family or something?"

"No," Kellyn shook his head as they strode to the escalator, and made the patient wait to rise their way up to the next floor. "You remember what we found when we got there, right?"

"Um, yeah," Ben nodded. "You guys uncovered a Pokemon trafficking ring up at Saffron City, right? Apparently it was huge, and you managed to catch everyone in just three months. Even Wendy was surprised that you two got it down so quickly."

"Well, thanks," the other boy grinned sheepishly. "I guess Sven and I make a pretty good team, don't we?"

"Sounds like it," Ben gave an encouraging smile. As part of the promotion program, Kellyn was assigned to Sven, and because of Sven's fondness for Electric Pokemon, Kellyn ended up with an adorable little Pachirisu as a Partner. Ben wanted to say congrats for finally getting a Partner Pokemon, but he still felt hollow at the fact that he didn't have a Partner of his own yet.

"Well, in Saffron, I encountered a very strange person," Kellyn's ramblings caught Ben's attention. "She was really strange, but she didn't associate herself with the poachers there."

"What happened?"

"Well, I guess she must have been a big-time poacher," Kellyn rubbed his chin in thought. "She was pretty young. Perhaps our own age."

"A poacher at sixteen?" Ben raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

"No, she was pretty short… my height, to be exact," Kellyn added. "And she had silver hair and wore dark purple and black. We had a little encounter at the base, but she ran the other direction after we exchanged some fists…"

"Was she strong, or was she afraid of you?" Ben asked dryly. Much to Ben's own surprise, Kellyn had not been taught hand combat with Sven yet, so any odds of winning a fistfight with a poacher, of all people, was close to zero.

"Don't know," Kellyn shrugged. "But I saw her again when I stayed back a bit to search the place before coming back here. I figured she was poacher when I saw her closing the garage to a plane, and then flying off with it. I saw some petrified Pokemon in the garage before it closed. I would have liked to chase after that woman, but she was already gone before I could try."

"Well, that's not good," Ben agreed.

"Not only that," Kellyn looked up at Ben. "I saw a group of green guys down on the other side of the base. They seemed to be remnant poachers, but they had no ties to this ring, not that I know of. They were trying to snoop the place for Pokemon, too…"

"You shouldn't worry too much about this, Kellyn," Ben assured his friend. "We'll eventually catch poachers like her, and she'll get the justice she deserves."

"You're right," Kellyn nodded, and they made it to the second floor. They made their way to the cafeteria where they immediately spotted Summer and Pachirisu jumping at an empty table for them. Kellyn grinned and waved to his cousin and Partner while Ben stayed back to think. Uniformed green people… poachers… smuggling ring… there seemed to be something going on in the underground world, and instead of rivaling each other, it seemed that the poachers were suddenly banding together, but for what purpose?

* * *

><p>"You know, we should send this off to Isaac," Kate suggested as she grabbed an Allen wrench and began twisting away at the nut. "Unless you know anything about this thing."<p>

After much effort, Basil and Ice had managed to pull the wrecked machine back to their home and left it neatly on a platter for Kate to inspect. Basil had already done a scan through the machine, but he still thought that maybe Kate should try to take it apart. All efforts of disassembling go to waste when it was Basil or Ice, because neither of them could use a wrench without breaking the handle off clean.

"Well, I do," Basil frowned at the piece of machinery. "With the scan, it seems that these machines are using the DL-6 Engine, or maybe SL-9 (both of them were similar). Either way, it has Davies Tech machinery in there, and I know what my products look like when I see them."

"Right," Kate nodded, and went back to removing spacers. Just five minutes ago, Basil was gushing over how great the design of this machine was, despite not even knowing the reason why this hunk of junk ever existed. He proposed that it was a lawn mower of some sorts, until Ice corrected him by pointing at the name as Z.Z. Flyer. That didn't stop her younger brother from dreaming, though.

"Well, it uses our engines," Ice contributed. "We should have to do something about it."

"It could be a prototype," Kate argued. "Aren't there a lot of people who buy your engines to make other machines and stuff?"

"Well, I can't see how this is some prototype," Ice stared at the Flyer, his eyebrows knitted together. "There must be more of these machines, if this 'Flyer' is so well built. Whoever it is making this thing must be producing these by the masses."

"Good point, Conan," Basil nodded, and then grabbed the cup of coffee that was left astray on a silvery tray. "But there should be good reason. It seems that this Z.Z. Flyer has some nice software too, like GPS capabilities and small compartments. Even if it looks like a nice device to make life easier, I'm pretty sure I haven't seen this at any conference so far. They should have proposed a debut with a prototype rather than manufacture them all already."

"Then, there's the point," Kate said, and she took out the power plate, and set the piece of metal gently on the side of the table. "So, doesn't that mean that this belongs to something big?"

Ice and Basil looked at her incredulously, "Could be… We could always ask the Union if they've had anything. Frankly, I'm getting the creeps out of this machine sitting in our house-"

The sound of the doorbell echoed about the entire house, and everyone nearly jumped at the sound of it. Basil reacted first and was already bounding for the door, leaving the ex-criminal and the former Ranger behind.

"Who'd ring at a time like this?" Ice frowned at the ceiling. Kate shrugged and just returned to her work. She could hear fidgeting right next to him, and then looked up at Ice, who was fumbling with his fingers and a wrench. She sighed exasperatedly, snatched the wrench away and pointed at the door. It wouldn't do for him to disrupt the peace and quiet here.

"If you're really that worried about Basil, then go after him," she ordered, and the blue haired took no delay to go speeding after her younger brother. Kate sighed, and picked up the vice grip. She could tolerate the two of their antics, but not one of them alone. She fumbled with the screwdriver, trying to fit it into the head of the screw, but she realized she was using the wrong one. To be honest, Kate was never the good mechanic, and she'd rather be doing something else than this gritty work. She'd be the worst in terms of taking things apart back at the Vien Town Base. To add insult to injury, Elaine would have finished this in an hour.

* * *

><p>Basil didn't seem to mind that Ice had come after him. He could understand the blue haired man was deeply worried about this. After all, no one really ever rings on the doorbell of their summer home (they fence off their property and took security measures to the best they could). The worst that could happen would be a bandit who went past their defenses and demanded money. And then his sister would end up wrecking the entire front porch to take down the poor unfortunate bandit. That would be no good…<p>

They scrambled to the door, and yanked the door open after fumbling with the lock. The first thing they noticed was rather dark red hair, and a certain tall Ranger with a suitcase at his feet. Oh, well, this was worse than the case about the bandit that wanted money, then…

"Hi."

The first thing that came out of the younger man's mouth was a small squeak and he shut the door on redhead and pressed his back against the door. Ice was equally as pale, and they exchanged shocked looks that looked near to death. Without speaking, Ice scrambled his way back downstairs to where he had just run out of, and Basil tried to even his own breathing, before getting up and opening the door, a smile sweeping across his lovely little face.

"Oh, hello, Keith," He remained as cheery as possible. "N-Nice to see that you stopped by, although it would have been better if you called us about this before coming here."

"Oh, that's nothing," Keith returned the polite gesture, as if he had forgotten that a door was smashed back into his face, and his nose was cherry pink from the impact. Basil opened the door wider, laughing nervously as the Ranger stepped in and closed the door behind him. The redhead's partner, Buizel went scampering into the house. The little otter nearly curved down the corridor to the stairs, but Basil had caught up with the Pokemon and forced it to head to the living room.

Keith took off his shoes and grabbed the spare slippers hanging from the rack beside him and they proceeded down the hall, with Basil leading him towards the living room. Buizel had already settled down on the couch, still jetlagged, and it was snoozing on the cushions. The two men smiled at the sight of the Pokemo until they heard a small clang of metal downstairs.

"What was that?" Keith asked, his posture almost defensive.

"Oh," Basil continued to usher the redhead into the living room. "That must have been Ice with his little contraptions downstairs. He was rushing down to go put them away, and he might have dropped something. He'll be up here in a moment. I'll go get you something to drink. Any preferences?"

"Um, something cold…" Keith answered vaguely, and Basil hurried off into the kitchen, hoping that Kate and Ice didn't drop anything else again for the next couple hours. Basil was hoping they'd be talented at silence.

He reached into the refrigerator and pulled out that big gallon of juice he got at the market just a few days ago, and he hurriedly closed the fridge and began pouring a cup. He returned the gallon and came rushing into the living room, where Keith was staring back at where the sound had come from, absentmindedly stroking Buizel's fur. Fortunately, he wasn't so absorbed to ignore the clink of glass on the table as Basil set his drink down on the table. He gave a mutter of thanks before taking a small sip from the juice.

Basil nervously settled himself on the chair across from Keith, occasionally looking back at the stairs that led downstairs. The silence was naturally killing the both of them, and he'd best like to get the facts straight now.

"So, Keith," He asked. "What brings you here to our summer home?"

"Good question," the redhead set his drink on the table. "I'm actually on vacation, and I still have quite a long time before going back to the Union. I was thinking of stopping by here, since I already spent some time with my family already."

"Oh, thank you for considering giving Ice and me a visit," Basil smiled gratefully. "We're not really lonely, because the people here are very kind, but it's nice to see some old friends come by for the while."

A small shuffle down the corridor indicated that Ice had returned, and both men raised their attention on the second occupant of the house. His blue hair was unkempt from having hefted heavy objects away, and he settled beside Basil and gave a small wave as he caught his breath.

"Oh, Ice," Keith smiled. "Nice to see you again."

"Oh, right," The man straightened up on the sofa and gingerly tried to look as if he hadn't ran marathon up the stairs just a few seconds ago.

"So, Keith," Basil picked up from where they started. "I think you said that you're on vacation, right?"

"Yes," the redhead said tentatively. It was officially called a vacation, as Murph dubbed it.

"Well, then I'm glad you've decided to come see us," Basil got up from the sofa and headed to the kitchen. He stopped and gave Ice a small glance.

"Conan, do you want anything to drink?"

"Just cold water," the blue haired man waved away, his wary eyes watching the boy leave before turning attention back upon the redhead. Keith looked puzzled, muttering to himself about something along the lines of "why don't they have a butler for such a big-ass house?"

"Keith Mustang," he spoke and made the Ranger jump in his seat. Keith stared back at his former enemy with a small glare. Not that Ice had anything much to say against that, considering what they used to be like five years back. But that wasn't what Ice wanted to think about. Keith was here for something else, otherwise, he'd leave him and Basil alone. This was no vacation for Keith, and he was sure there were more reasons as to why the Ranger would show up unexpected at their front door, without getting fried by the security, no less.

Suddenly, Keith's goals were too clear for him, and probably Basil figured it out already. This was either a bad thing, or a good thing, Ice couldn't decide. He was against the idea of hiding Kate here in Oblivia after the press release of her acquittal, but it was Basil and Kate's wishes… Probably, keeping Keith away would be the better plan, but Ice could only see where that would head. Perhaps Basil will be upset if he tried any roundabout way of either driving Keith out or drawing him in.

"You asked?"

"Not asking for anything," Ice shrugged. "I'm just still surprised that you'd be coming. You should have called."

"Well," Keith set down the drink. "I guess it's my fault, not planning my course before I left Almia."

"Indeed," The blue haired man chided distastefully, as if scorning the Ranger for being so sneaky with his moves. Of course he'd never tell them in advance. He knew that she was probably here, so he had to take them by surprise.

"However," Ice continued. "Now that you're here, I guess it's only fair we take you around the islands to go sightseeing. I'm you telling you now, but the place is gorgeous."

"Well, that's what I heard whenever I read about Oblivia," Keith nodded in agreement. "I guess the rumors were true when I was getting out of the airport. No wonder you two wanted to have a house here."

"Well, Basil always wanted to be in nice places like this island," Ice explained. "He wants to get out of the city life for the while. You know how demanding being the head of a company is like."

Their conversation was cut short when Basil returned with water, and refilled glasses for everyone, all with some edgy smile on his face, but Ice decided to ignore it as the two of them veered Keith into a conversation about the company's well-being. They have talked about it before on the phone, but probably hearing the news directly from Basil himself sounded more comforting.

"Well," Basil got up from his seat. "I heard that Ice offered you to take you around the islands. What do you say about that?"

"Um," Keith was hesitant. "I just got off the plane, and…"

"It's not that bad," Ice smirked. "I think Oblivia and Almia have the same time zones, and Kanto's only a two hour difference, so there shouldn't be a problem with jetlag."

"Yeah," Basil laughed. "I just need to clean the house up a bit, so why don't the two of you go out. I'll bring your luggage to the guest rooms."

"Guest rooms?" Keith was flummoxed by the plural usage, but then was ushered by Ice towards the door.

Basil was already cantering down the hallway to downstairs with Keith's suitcase in tow, while Ice was urging the flustered redhead and his napping otter to change back into his shoes as quickly as they could. They were out the door within five minutes and they headed out into the islands outside the security fence. Keith was surprised that it was only morning when they were out of the house. Considering that he came to Oblivia in nighttime morning, it made much more sense.

* * *

><p>As much as Keith had least wanted to leave the house until he found his answers, he actually enjoyed this tour. They've visited the three most inhabited islands during the day, and the redhead was very impressed with the islands. Renbow Island was a pretty traditional place, but the people were quite friendly about Rangers and they didn't swarm over him like they did in Almia. News probably traveled here quite slowly.<p>

Mitatonga Island reminded him of Peril Cliffs back in Almia, but less dangerous and with windmills and an abundant amount of flowers. Ice, who accompanied Keith, mentioned that a lot of the flowers were surprisingly native to Oblivia, especially the ones that could grown in tight cracks of the rocks. When they were around there, they had passed a poster with a middle-aged man in wizard robes, an advertisement for a magic show that was held weekends on Mitatonga Island. Buizel seemed most delighted about something about magic in places like these, so he asked Ice if the show was any good. The blue haired man seemed half-elated and half-scared in his answer.

"I've seen the guy's performances several times," He said. "It's unbelievable, but I couldn't help but be chilled that a person like me could be taken by these tricks."

Considering that this man was the former executive of a high-number crime syndicate, the way Ice had described made the redheaded Ranger wary of that note. Best to keep distance from that magician, then, if he sounded this shady of a person.

The third island, Sophian Island, was ways away from the first two, but somehow, Ice managed to accommodate for that with a duo of Staraptor that he had in a Pokeballs. Keith and Buizel didn't mind that they had to fly with Pokemon. They actually thought they'd never be able to fly another Staraptor with the recent development of planes.

Sophian Island was, needless to say, much more… flashier. The two men and Pokemon arrived on a marble floor that was built nearby the edge of the ocean, and Keith wasn't expecting a full-on town with water, marble, and fountains. Keith could almost believed that he had stepped into some fictional city. Ice had expected the surprised look on the Ranger's face, and gave him time to recover.

"So, surprised, aren't you?"

All Keith could give him was a very slow nod, clutching Buizel tightly. The little rascal wanted to jump out and play in the water fountain, and Keith definitely didn't want to clean up the mess.

"Here, there is someone I think you'd like to see," Ice gave a knowing smile, and Keith couldn't resist frowning at what that blue haired man was thinking.

"Who would that be?" he found himself asking.

"Well, I heard you're on good terms with this person," Ice said. "And since you're here, Basil suggested that you give this person a visit."

They stopped at a house complex, the first door to the left. Ice merely knocked on the door. Keith could hear a small yet slow shuffling of feet from the farther parts of the house. He wanted to turn to Ice and asked more about this person, but when he turned round, he saw no one. Where that bastard run off to?, he thought. Buizel was doing much better than he was, not being jumpy and anxious at all. Keith waited anxiously as the door creaked open to see a wrinkly old face of an aged woman, all too familiar for the likes of a Ranger.

"Oh, hello, Keith," the wizened lady's eyes beamed at the sight of the redhead. "I didn't think you'd stop by." [1]

The woman usually wore apparel similar to that of executives, but today, she was only wearing a sweater and some sweatpants, very much what elderly people would wear.

"Oh, um, sorry if I didn't say anything," Keith stuttered. Oh, so it was the former Chairperson Erma. He was wondering where the woman retired to. After the farewell party, Hastings refused to say anything about where she went.

"Oh, that was nothing to worry about," The woman's speech was rather good for someone her age, and she opened the door to welcome him in. "I guess when I told John about where I'd be retiring, he got a little defensive and didn't want the entire Union knocking on my door for hourly visits."

"Well, that would be a strain on your health, Chairperson Erma," Keith chuckled nervously, and he merely let himself inside the room. Who wouldn't reject an offer to visit the mother of the Union?

"Oh, don't you worry about that," Erma hobbled into the kitchen and came back with tea, a small pastry, and something for Buizel to eat. "And please call me Erma. I am no longer your superior."

"Y-yes, Erma," Keith still felt uneasy about even addressing the woman so familiarly. He fidgeted nervously in his seat, still surprised that Ice had taken him to see the former Chairperson, of all people. He slowly pulled the cup of tea to himself. He could take the cake later. Erma settled down on the chair opposite him as he lifted the teacup to his lips. Buizel snuggled onto his lap, quietly nibbling at whatever was given to him.

"It was pleasant of you to think of stopping by to see me," Erma smiled brightly. "Murph was telling me over the phone that you were working yourself to death that he forced you into getting a vacation."

Keith wanted to lurch over and spit his tea out. He didn't ever remember Murph ordering him to go take a vacation. That was only a suggestion, right? More importantly, Murph called Erma on this?

"Oh, well, something like that," He could only say curtly, and he wanted to slap himself for being so rude.

"Oh, that's nothing to be ashamed about," The woman chuckled. "I'm sure you've been wearing yourself out lately. It's only natural that Murph saw that you needed a break, dear."

"Um… yeah…"

Then the room fell silent as Keith sat staring back at Erma, who had an unsettling stare, as if she seemed to doubt whatever Keith had said. Then the conversation picked up again as they began to discuss the current happenings, and certain members of the Union. The two were chuckling with each other when finally Erma revealed her doubt.

"You don't act like you're on a vacation," She noted as she leaned back, her gaze turning to a Delcatty slinking in the back of the house. "Your eyes say it all. They seem to be searching for something."

Keith looked away in shame. He really could never lie to a woman who had years of experience with Rangers. She knew him long enough, and Murph probably fed her snippets about him the years previous. Erma was a surrogate mother to everyone.

"You've been doing this for five years it seems," she mused, and presented the cake to him. "Here, eat something. And I suggest you take a nap before you start sightseeing tomorrow. You're going to need all the rest you can get to catch your fish early."

He could tell that the old woman was avoiding digging any deeper into the subject. At the moment, he didn't want to talk about it, especially not to the former Chairperson. All she could do is understand his purpose and encourage him. This was only a personal matter, so she shouldn't be getting too involved in this.

"But I know this, Keith," Erma said, with a light smile gracing her lips. "I'm sure you'll find what you've been looking for really soon, dear."

"T-Thank you, Erma," was all Keith could say. He really couldn't say much else, given this was a personal issue that he didn't share with others about.

He had politely declined the cake, but Erma insisted he take, claiming that there weren't much visitors. Instead, she merely boxed the pastries. The woman handed it to him wrapped in a bag while he was on his way to the door. Thankfully, Buizel was considerate enough to leap out of his arms so he could carry the package.

"Well, thank you for stopping by, dear," Erma smiled warmly, just like any other day. "I hope you enjoy your vacation."

"Thank you, Erma," Keith nodded quickly, like a meek child to his parents. He already forgot how many times he had said thank you to the former Chairperson.

"Oh, and say hello, to dear little Conan for me, will you?" Erma giggled. "I noticed he brought you here to see me. He shouldn't be so shy to avoid visiting an old woman. He only comes with Basil, and I never get the chance to tell him that he goes so well with Basil."

"Conan… Ice?" Keith was still unsettled about Ice. Apparently, Basil had some history with the man, and the first time they met, Ice pretended to be Conan. Later complications occurred that "Conan" was his real name, and Basil continued to address the man as such for the rest of their lives. To think that Erma knew about this meant that the two must have visited her often. And… wait… "goes so well?"

"Of course," Erma smiled. "Who else would I be talking about? Now don't you have a grand chase to get started on? It's best you start early. The catch could get away if you aren't fast enough."

"Oh, right," Keith shifted into his shoes hurriedly, and sidled out the door with Buizel scampering near. He continued to walk, waving back to Erma before her door closed, and he stopped at the square to look for Ice. Luckily enough, he found the former Dim Sun executive sitting at the coffee house chairs.

The blue haired man stared up at the Ranger, who was carrying a pink box that probably contained lots of sweets that would last the entire house a month. His mouth nearly twitched in annoyance, and he got up from his chair, hands gingerly pushing the chair back into the table.

"I guess she spoiled you today," He chuckled, and Keith could only nod.

"Apparently, she wanted to see you, too," the redhead added. "She said you and Basil 'go well together'."

"That's because we live in the same house," Ice answered flatly, and looked at the mountains behind them. "Well, it's almost evening. Let's get you back home. It's too dark out here, so let's take the ferry back to Renbow, we can catch a motorcycle on the way back." [2]

Keith gave a skeptical glance at the blue haired man, wondering how they were going to get motorcycles in the first place, but he didn't bother question Ice.

"Sounds good to me."

* * *

><p>The last thing the two men wanted to hear on the road was screams and cries for help. Both of them twisted their vehicles to a screeching halt and tried to hear the screaming again. Buizel, without delay, jumped off of Keith's back and began charging into the bushes and trees.<p>

"Buizel!" Keith called after his little partner, but his worries dissipated when they heard shouts again, and they took off in the same direction as Buizel.

Keith hurriedly pulled back vines and fronds as he trudged through the tall grass and shrubs. He could hear the distinct sound of water sloshing around, and a tinge of pride for his reliable partner struck him. He could hear Ice rushing through at the same, if not even faster, rate than he was. He must be familiar with these forests, to be able to get through so quickly.

They stepped out into a clearing when they had to duck under an orb of water that wasn't really aimed at them. Keith looked up and saw two flying objects, hovering almost quietly above them, and they were trying to swoop down at Buizel, but it seemed that his little partner's attacks were too much for them.

Ice and Keith rushed to Buizel and found that it was protecting a shivering bundle of white cloth. Ice quickly knelt down and pulled the bundle onto his lap, revealing a young girl, perhaps just shy of twelve years old, and her arm was decorated with a large bruise. Keith couldn't see much of the wounds, but he could tell that the two hover things were the cause of it.

"Qui…"

The redhead turned and saw a tiny Cyndaquil that was almost runt-like, feebly trying to reach the girl. Ice heard the same and exchanged glances with Keith. Judging from the injuries, he could tell where this was going. Buizel quieted down, and looked up expectantly at its partner.

"Ah, some knights in shining armor!" One of the hovering things spoke, and Keith's eyes narrowed to thin slits. Upon proper inspection, he could see that people were standing on the hovering machines. Oh, so it was a human.

"Who are you?" Ice shouted at them. Clearly, the man was just as angry at these strange villains, for hurting a child like this.

"We're here to serve justice upon ourselves," a woman replied arrogantly. "The little brat tried to steal our equipment, so she got what she deserved."

Ice had veins popping in his head.

"You-"

"Ice," Keith's voice sliced right through his. The tone of the redhead was almost eerie, as if a demon was beginning to take over the Ranger's body. Ice could only keep his mouth shut while he cradled the injured child, stroking light blue hair. He gazed down at the girl's face, and nearly gasped at the identity of the little girl.

Keith made no move to jump at the group of flying people and beat them to near death. It seemed more like a warning. The strangers' hovering machines wobbled slightly, and they shrieked in fright. They quickly ran the other direction when they realized that this veteran Ranger wasn't to be trifled with.

Ice finally could breath when the dark aura that had filled the meadows cleared away, and Keith knelt down beside the girl, the Cyndaquil in one hand, and Buizel in the other. He didn't look furious like he should be, more like mildly upset.

"We're going to have to take her somewhere."

"I know where," Ice cut him off. "She's the daughter of the Ranger who's based here. If my memory serves me right, he lives not too far from this clearing… Oh, I really feel sorry for the bunch that did this to her. Her father's going to be pissed."

"No kidding," Keith snorted, and tucked Cyndaquil into the arms of the unknown Ranger's daughter. "Where to go, Ice?"

"This way," the blue haired man instinctively headed for the dirt trail that lay near the clearing, and Keith walked behind the group, carefully looking back to see if anyone was following them in the dark.

"By the way, Keith," Ice suddenly caught his attention. "Why didn't you attack those guys?"

Oh, that. Needless to say, Keith really wasn't sure why he just resorted to killing intent instead of the full-on knockout. Probably it was dark, or he was more focused on something else.

"I don't think attacking them would do any good," Keith answered. "Besides, I thinking chasing them down would be better than hurting them."

"Quite the cool and collected now, are we?" Ice looked back the redhead, almost bemused. "I really was going to believe you'd pounce at them with sharpened claws."

"Nah," Keith waved it off. "That's not my style."

* * *

><p>NOTES:<p>

[1] Sophian Island really sounded like a retirement home.

[2] In comparison to the game itself, I will be heavily urbanizing a lot of Oblivia. Let's just say that it's an obscure vacation area, with plenty of wildlife preserves and rather modernized villages, courtesy to the fact that Basil lives on Oblivia.


	6. Letters of Threat

**Tracks of Light**

**Chapter 06 – Letters of Threat**

* * *

><p><em>Nema sighed in complete disappoint. Summer just had to pass by so quickly, and now it was the rain season again in Oblivia. She had just moved here, being the small child she was, she wasn't allowed to go outside. Her mom said it would give her a strong cold if she played in the rain. Well, she could say that there were other kids who were outside, splashing in the mud puddles, but her mother would retort that those children were boys, and they were older. Well, Nema liked to put things together and make machines. Wasn't that a boyish thing to do, too?<em>

_Her mother was out today, having been called for a small conference overseas. Nema and her father wanted to go, but her mother reminded the little girl and the Ranger that he had duties to fulfill, and that leaving the post would be dangerous. It wasn't necessarily an argument, but her father didn't get to say anything after that, which left him in a rather stormy mood the next day._

_Evening had come, not like Nema could care. Clouds came on rainy days, and no one could really see the sun. She really wanted to hit her head against the window pane, but her father would catch her and say that she'd lose brain cells doing that. She didn't feel like touching the toolbox and illegally toy with her dad's capture device. He probably would get angry because the mood he was in._

_Then, Nema swear she saw the bushes nearby move outside the window. She stopped blinking and pressed her face against the glass and waited. Indeed something as sitting in the forest, trying to get out, although, why would someone want to escape the trees and go to the rain. Wouldn't a dry place like under the tree be better? Nema continued to watch the bushes tremble._

_Soon after, she saw a figure of a human walking out, staggering. Nema couldn't tell what the person really looked like, when she was so far away, and all Nema could see was red, white, and dark gray. Aren't those the standard colors for a Pokemon Ranger? What was a person like that doing here? Nema thought that her father was the only one here._

_But she really couldn't see the person's face. This Ranger was a girl? Or a boy? Perhaps a girl. The stranger looked thin enough to be one…_

_The feeble Ranger outside stumbled into the middle of the clearing, and merely fell over into the grass, knees first. Nema began to take action._

"_Daddy!" She shook her father, and the man jolted upright, alert at his daughter's call._

"_Nema, what is it?" He tried not to be too irritable, especially with the desperate look on Nema's face._

"_Someone's outside, Daddy!" Nema zipped through her words. "Someone's outside, and I think she's hurt! And I think she's a Ranger!"_

"_A Ranger?" Her father was entirely puzzled by the mention of the detail, and he quickly rushed out the door, and fumbled with the lock. He forgot to grab a raincoat and ran outside, the rain beating on his back as soon as he left the comfort and security of the door. Nema, scared and worried for the fallen Ranger, tried to get out of the house as far as she could without getting wet._

_She watched as Rand literally sprinted when he recognized that the fallen Ranger was really a person, and he knelt down and checked for wounds quickly. He immediately lifted an arm, and slung it around his neck, and hoisted the stranger up, and the two of them limped forward into the house._

_Nema rushed back into the house to make way for her father and the stranger, both sopping wet. Rand heaved the person onto the couch, not caring if Nema's mother would complain about how she'll have to dry the thing. The two of them were too concerned about the injured to think about the consequences._

_Upon closer inspection, Nema could see that it really was a girl, probably in her late teens. The only problem was that her legs and arms were heavy with wet bandages, and her face couldn't really be seen. Half of her face was covered in bandages and more bandages, and the other half had cuts all over it. What in the world did this girl do to get so many injuries._

"_Nema," her father looked at her. "Can you get a first aid kit?"_

"_Sure," the little scientist chirped and ran into the kitchen. She was very interested in this Ranger that had arrived, and was almost sure she must have gotten into some terrible trouble. Nema was climbing the chair to reach the top cabinet when she saw a little black and white bird perch on the windowsill, black beady eyes staring right back at her. A Starly – she identified, but she knew that they weren't native to Oblivia. Maybe it's that Ranger's partner? Did they both come here together? Nema was even more curious about the mystery Ranger._

* * *

><p>Ice and Keith continued down the path, until they made it out to an even larger clearing overlooking the ocean. Keith could see Mitatonga's circus tent blinking in the distance from the cliff there. On that cliff, closer to the forest, was a cottage, just enough for a family of three. So the Ranger lived here with family, the child and the wife. And they're home, too, as seen by the smoke rising from the chimney.<p>

Keith followed after Ice as they stepped into the middle of the clearing, carefully walking upon the dirt path that made its way to the door. Ice used his elbow to press on the doorbell, and the two of them heard the sound of a clattering pan on the kitchen. Hurried footsteps sprinted to the door before it was swung upon, missing Ice and his load by inches.

A tired, blue haired woman was panting, as if she had just run a marathon, and she was completely wide-eyed at the sight of her daughter.

"Nema!" She cried, and she quickly picked up the little girl from Ice's hands. She looked up at both Ice and Keith, before hurriedly yanking them into the house. Keith grimaced at the sudden roughness of such a woman. Did mothers always act this way?

The mother quickly laid Nema on the couch, and having completely ignored the two men and Buizel on the couch, and she raced up the stairs, shouting her husband's name.

"Rand! She's back!"

"What?"

More crashing ensued upstairs and two people rushed down the stairs, the wife, and the owner of the house. He looked almost terrible, his haired windswept and his stubble untidy. This man must be the girl's daughter. His eyes darted to the couch, and at the sight of Nema, he began literally tumbling down the stairs, but Ice and Keith quickly stepped forward to catch him.

"Slow down, Rand," Ice calmed the Ranger down. "Your daughter's here. It's not an illusion. Now please calm yourself so we can give you a proper explanation."

Rand gave a weak nod before getting to his own feet and directed them to a different room, slowly smoothing out his hair and straightening his clothes. It must be embarrassing to look so terrible in front of guests.

The room that they were standing in seemed like a more old-fashioned version of a conference room, with hand-drawn maps of the islands posted on the walls. Well, if Rand was the only Ranger here, there really wasn't much to discuss in a conference room, so upgrades weren't necessary.

"Please," Rand's voice was still wavering, but he seemed much better than they had first seen him. "Take a seat."

Keith and Ice both exchanged glances. They were only expecting to get a thank you from Nema's parents, but there seemed to be more to this than they had thought. Once all three of them were settled down, Rand began to speak.

"Thank you, Ice, for bringing Nema back," he gave a weak smiled, despite his tired appearance. "And... thank you… err…"

He was looking at Keith, whom he really didn't know.

"Keith," the redhead said curtly. "I'm a Top Ranger from Almia, and I've come here for vacation."

"Oh, I see," Rand nodded. "But, thank you, Keith, for finding my daughter."

"You're welcome, Rand," Ice said coolly. "So, you wanted to tell me something?"

"Yes," He procured a file, and slid it towards the two men. "I should have told you this later, but seeing as you just recently got back from business, I felt that it wasn't a problem… until now."

Ice took the file and began looking through it. When he was done, he passed it to Keith, who was prepared to read all of them as thoroughly as possible.

"Lately, there have been reports all around Oblivia of a group of poachers roaming the islands, usually in thick jungles or the ruins."

"Well," Ice wasn't startled by the news. "Oblivia is full of exotic Pokemon and ancient relics. It isn't unnatural for people of that kind to step foot here."

"True," Rand agreed. "I've dealt with them before. But this one is different. The reports say that these poachers are wearing the same uniform, and there have been a whole lot of notices. It seems like they've all come together into one big-"

"A smuggling ring," Keith cut through Rand, not really aware of how tactless that was. His eyes lifted from the papers to Rand, a knowing glance of suspicion on his face.

"A smuggling ring?" Rand was bewildered by the assumption.

"Make no mistake," Keith set the file down and showed them a photo of the criminals on the table for everyone to see. "It's a smuggling ring of poachers, and yes, they have banded together. As a Ranger from Almia, I now know that this is a worldwide issue, since reports have been springing up everywhere."

"Around the world?" Rand was speechless. "I-I'm sorry. I… I just don't connect with anyone outside Oblivia… but that bad?"

"Yes," Keith nodded. "However, the Union has been tracking them all down, and it seems that the smuggling ring had receded significantly the past few months and concentrated themselves around here… specifically, Oblivia."

"Yes…" Rand was still trying to take in the information. "But why Oblivia?"

"Think about it," Ice tried to explain. "We're a pretty obscure island, so no one except the Union noticed it… but more importantly, there is something special in Oblivia that can't be found anywhere else, and this smuggling ring really wants to get their hands on something we don't know."

What followed were more guesswork planning and other things. Keith wasn't sure if any of their topics of discussions were of any use, since they had so little ground to work on, based on the new realization of a poachers on Oblivia. There was much talk discussing plans, but it came by quickly enough when Rand's wife came stepping into the room, very happy, but just as tired.

"Nema's woken up," his wife told him.

Rand wanted to jump out of his seat, but Keith had gotten out first, confusing everyone.

"Ah, excuse us for a moment," Ice got up from his seat. "We would like a word with your daughter, if you would."

Rand wasn't particularly happy with the proposal, but he nodded, allowing his reunion with Nema to wait another half hour. If Ice needed answers about what was going on, he probably needed them as soon as possible.

Keith exited out and saw that Nema was now wide awake and sitting upright, her large blue eyes flickering around the entire living room. At a first glance, he could tell the girl had a severely short attention span. She clutched onto the Cyndaquil that was still asleep in her arms as if it were her comfort blanket and Keith was hoping that didn't like suffocation to her poor Pokemon.

"Hello, Conan!" Nema chirped at Ice, who reeled back at the mention of his true name, but the blue haired man calmed down as he settled on the couch opposite her. Keith silently sat down right next to Ice, and stared at the little girl, whose attention averted to him.

"Oh, Hello, Keith!"

"Keith?" The redheaded Ranger was intrigued, but very shocked. "How did you happen to know me?"

"Uh…" The girl pondered, looking up to the ceiling for answers. "Someone showed me a picture of you!"

"Oh," Keith could see there was more to that, but he shook his head. "Anyways, that topic aside. We have some questions to ask of you before we go."

"Sure, Keith," Nema beamed. "Ask me anything."

Keith felt uneasy, still about the fact that someone knew him and talked so much about him… Basil and Ice wouldn't do that… and news travel slowly to Oblivia…

"What did you see when you out of the house today?" Ice took over the questioning.

"Oh, simple," Nema's mouth seemed to run on a motor. "I was playing outside this evening when I saw something shiny whizz pass by the house, so I followed it, but I sorta broke my promise with Mom that I wouldn't go too deep into the jungle, but I did… (Man, she's going to kill me for that). Anyways, we got to this place in the jungle, can't remember where, and then we saw these guys in green suits and green machines. They were called Z.Z. Flyers, I think. It was getting dark, so I didn't see everything. Unfortunately, they saw me and chased me. Then you guys showed up and saved me. Oh, and thank you very much for helping me back there, Conan and Keith. You guys were awesome, even though I didn't see everything."

Keith and Ice were silent at the very long and quick explanation that Nema had given. How could a girl this young speak so fast?

"Well," Ice coughed politely. "You're welcome, and speaking of which… Z.Z. Flyer. That was the name of the machines you saw?"

"Yup," Nema nodded. "They look pretty advanced, something like the one Basil makes! And they can levitate, too… You probably use a DL-6 Engine for that… no, make Sl-9? Argh, I really don't know, but I really wanted to get my hands on one of those, and see what's inside! It sounds like it could be used for transportation or something."

"If you want to take a look at one," Ice smiled. "I'd be happy to let you visit our house to see a Z.Z. Flyer. Basil and I found one in our property just a few days ago. I think you'd be interested to see it, since you love things like these."

"Oh, really?" the girl's eyes couldn't ever get any brighter. "Thank you so much, Conan! I hope you get to take me to Basil's house to see it! Well, I have to get Dad's permission first, but thank you! Hey, Mom? Can I go to Basil's house tomorrow to see the Z.Z. Flyer?"

"Of course you can," Leanne nodded, ruffling her daughter's hair. "Just make sure that Ice comes to pick you up and brings you back by eight."

"Thanks Mom!" Nema leapt off the couch and hugged her mother before racing up the stairs to her own room.

"Wait, Nema!" Leanne called after her daughter. "Don't run up the stairs! You're still hurt!"

She then realized that calling out her child was helpless, and she gave a smile back at Ice and Keith.

"Thank you, though, for helping bring Nema back home," she nodded. "Nema tends to get into trouble, and with a lot of poachers roaming the jungle, I don't think she'll have any luck getting out of situations like this ever again."

"No need," Ice smiled. "We're family, after all."

"I believe that's all the questions you have, right?" Rand spoke up. "You two better hurry back home, or Basil will be lonely and it's dangerous, these times."

"Oh, we'll be home soon enough," Ice smiled reassuringly. "Basil has his security systems, so it's all right. Thank you for your concern, though."

"The smuggling ring seems very sophisticated, making machines like that," Rand adds. "I'd highly suggest it's not a team of poachers, maybe even an organization of them."

"Well, that's a good point," Keith agreed. "Either way, this organization is more trouble than it really looks. I think this calls for a full-scale operation, to take down these guys."

"I see," Rand continued to nod. "I guess we're not too sure about what they're looking for, but this is a serious issue… Is there any way we can get more people in on this? I don't think we have enough people to go against this organization."

"Of course," Ice nodded and turned to Keith. "I guess we'll be able to ask for an official mission, right?"

"I should be taking a break," the redhead sighed. "But trouble always come to me. Rest assured. I'll send a report requesting for backup to the Union."

"Thank you," Rand bowed slightly. "I just hope the help comes as soon as it can. Now Nema's involved with them, so there's high chance that we're all in danger, because I am a Ranger, and you are associated with them. I wouldn't be too surprised if they override your security system at some point, if they are this advanced."

"Good point," Keith began to back out the door and head on back to Basil's with Ice. "But you're in more danger, so please be careful about it. These guys are all poachers, so they even be associated with the mafia. Just keep your wits about you."

Rand and his wife watched the Ranger and the former criminal run off to the trail and depart before looking up at the clear night sky. There only the sounds of Pokemon from the jungles that echoed in the distance.

"Don't worry about it," Rand muttered to himself. "I've dealt with the mafia before. Many times."

* * *

><p>Ben wasn't entirely sure what Wendy meant when Murph summoned both of them to the conference, message via Wendy. The female Ranger was so cryptic about it, only give them a smile, and then bidding her student, Summer, good luck.<p>

"Everything will be explained when you get there," she said. "If you feel like you're up for it.

The first that popped into his head was an overseas mission. Usually that was a milestone for any Ranger, getting to go overseas and work out of Almia. That sounded like fun. If we was going with Summer, that would make things even better.

All questions were answered when the two of them entered the opening doors of the conference room, and then they were immersed in the near darkness that took over the room when a presentation was about to start. They looked ahead to the very long table where Murph was sitting.

"Ah, Ben, and Summer," their superior looked up from his end of the table, grinning as widely as ever. "Just in time. Take a seat. This is going to be a bit long."

The two Rangers walked down to the aisles and tried to sit as close as possible to Murph.

"Recently, we've received a warning report from Keith in Oblivia," Murph announced, earning questioning glances from his Rangers.

"From Keith?" Summer was confused. What was he doing there?

"Well, he's supposed to be on vacation," the Chairman laughed nervously. "But I guess it's all over now that he's gotten himself in trouble… ehehehe…"

He then straightened in his seat and then slid two files over to the two of them.

"I'm sure you have heard of this," Murph began. "I believe you remember the sudden increase in poaching activities around the globe? Anyways, from reports, they are beginning to congregate and heading off to Oblivia. At the moment, they are perhaps a malicious organization that controls Pokemon and take them from their homes. From recent reports, they name themselves Pokemon Pinchers."

Summer's face contorted slightly, quietly trying to hold back laughter. Ben couldn't help but agree. Why Pinchers?

"Up until recently, the members worked independently," Murph added. "But now these Pokemon Pinchers are starting to become a unified outfit. The question is why. In any case, they're probably up to no good.

"So, Ben and Summer," Murph gave a small nod towards the files they were given. "I'll be reassigning your posts to Oblivia temporarily to work with Keith on this issue. I want you two to head for the Oblivia region, investigate the Pinchers' plans, and, if necessary, stop them, at all costs."

Ben and Summer's faces somehow just began to glow, unable to contain their excitement. So it was an overseas mission after all, and they were going to Oblivia. Who wouldn't be excited about it?

"Also, an explanation of the Oblivia region," Murph waved off the enthusiasm. "In a sense, it's a place the rest of the world has forgotten about. It's a carefree and peaceful paradise, as many say. That is, however, exactly what these Pinchers are after. The area is so peaceful that we only have one Area Ranger stationed there."

"However, Oblivia is also known as the 'Islands of Ancient Ruins and Legends.' Recently, many archaeology buffs have been visiting these islands. If I ever have the time, I would definitely like to visit, and Hastings would have liked to, too... However, the investigations department concludes that these ruins will be the target of the Pinchers."

"Indeed," Murph nodded. "So, we hope that you don't let down your guard, even if it is a peaceful place there. We're going to have you get going by this evening after you are equipped. I hope you two don't mind night flying."

"Oh, it's fine," Summer laughed. "As long as I'm with my Staraptor. We'll be fine."

"All right then," Murph smiled. "Let's get you two suited up for the mission."

* * *

><p>"W-wow… You think I can carry all this stuff?"<p>

Summer was gaping at the entire table filled with small things that she assumed were weapons. Ben recognized them immediately. His teacher had used some of these things before, on some missions, but never too often.

"That's just small traps to distract opponents for a quick getaway, if you need one," Murph explained. "Hastings had put into account the fact that these Pinchers are much more dangerous, so we're preparing you for the worst."

Summer could see that Murph really meant business from the grave look he had on his face, and then went back to packing the things away. Ben was about to go and help, but a hand rested on his shoulder.

"And as for you, Ben," Murph gave the brown haired boy a grave look. "There's something just for you. Keith had asked me to do this for you."

Ben could only comply before giving Summer one last glance. She wasn't really paying attention, and seemed more intent on counting the smoke bombs on the table. The brown haired boy followed his superior to the far end of the equipment room.

"I've been hearing about your training with Keith two weeks ago," Murph told him. "He seems you are fit for something better, that Keith."

"Better?" Ben asked, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"Those tonfas that you carry all the time," Murph said. "They're made out of wood. I'm afraid that they'll snap anytime soon."

"It's pretty strong wood," Ben countered. These were the tonfas that he was given by an anonymous person from his days back at the Academy. He had a vague idea of who would give him these, but this only made his attachment to the weapons stronger. There was no way he would ever want to give these up.

"Yes, but those aren't the real ones that she left you," Murph shot back. Even Murph himself seemed to be unable to say her name, as much as he knew that those tonfas could only had been her idea.

"Not real…?"

"Those are for practice," Murph simply stated, and he pulled out a drawer. "The real ones, the ones that she had actually used in battle, were these."

Then Ben was looking down at a set of tonfas, of metal and black grips. He gaped in awe, just realizing the visible difference this weapon held than his own.

"Keith wasn't sure if you were ready to use these," Murph explained. "They were pretty heavy for you, so you had to wait. But it seems that you should be able to use these from now on."

Ben gave his superior a fleeting glance, exemplifying shock, and then he stared back his own pair of tonfas. He was sure he had been doing fine with his own, but he had to recognize his own drive. He didn't only become a Ranger just to be with Pokemon all the time. He became a Ranger to protect everyone. This "upgrade" was the first step.

He placed his wooden tonfas into the drawers and picked up the new ones.

"I'll take them," Ben said, to Murph. "I guess there comes a time when I have to change for the better."

The Chairman gave a small smile, glad that Ben had made a good decision when a whistle came their way.

"I'm done," Summer called out to them. "We're pretty much set to go, aren't we?"

"Yes, we are," Murph nodded, and he closed the drawer. "Let's go up the roof. You'll be taking off from there."

They were in the sun under the massive green tree, and under the tree were a massive crowd of people, so many that guards were patrolling the perimeters of the roof. Ben and Summer could only gape at the many people who had come to see them off: teachers and students from the Academy, their Ranger friends back at Vientown, and a handful of Operators, Scientists, and Rangers. How did news travel so quickly?

"Good luck, Ben!" They could his parents in the front of the crowd, waving their son goodbye. Summer had rushed aside to give her parents a small hug, and bid farewell to the café workers she visited every morning. Murph, meanwhile, took the time to wait beside the Staraptor that were waiting for takeoff.

"I didn't expect so many people here," Ben noted to his superior as he came forth to his Staraptor. Summer was still trying to say goodbye to as many people she could see.

"Well, we all care for you, Ben," Murph grinned. "The Union's just like a family, or did you forget it all?"

"Oh, um, right," Ben reddened at the realization, and then looked up at Murph. "I hope Oblivia will be a turning point. Maybe then I'll be able to get a Pokemon Partner…"

Murph's grin was taken aback, but it came back as he patted the boy on the shoulder. The feeling of loneliness must have been catching up to him, and it was time for all that to go away.

"That's something you'll just need to look forward to," Murph then looked at the time. "Oh, we're off track."

"I'm ready to go whenever we say so," Summer chimed, as she had come back and mounted her partner Staraptor. She gave an encouraging smile to Ben as she slipped on her goggles, and she was returned the same gentle smile. Murph closed his eyes in content. He could put his faith in these Rangers, just like he had any other time he saw them off.

"Depart immediately for the Oblivia Region," he told them. "Cooperate with Pokemon and foil the Pinchers' plans. Defend nature and peace for everyone."

"Yes, sir!"

And then they were off, wings gliding and accelerating up into the realm of clouds. Ben could hear Summer laugh and yell at the sensation of being nearly weightless, the satisfaction of flying. He could help but chuckle himself. But for now, he felt more freedom, and more confident. This mission couldn't possibly fail. Not for him.

* * *

><p>"Don't go too far, Buizel. I won't try to find you if you get lost."<p>

"Bui!"

Keith sighed at his Partner's enthusiasm. Well, judging from where he had met Buizel (in a thick forest almost like a Jungle in the middle of Fiore), he could understand why his partner liked this island so much. Almia had thick forests, but it was all temperate.

He continued to stay on the dirt path that led around the islands, off the main road, as he looked at his Styler. He had long since upgraded to the newest model last month, at Murph's insistence, and it felt much different from the first. The functions were similar, but Hastings had opted to make it smaller with less bulky material (not that it was that bulky to begin with). Keith did miss the actual display keys and screen, but that was holographic now. Even in five years… things could go by too quickly.

The Ranger had woken up on a good note, with a strong urge to have a look at the Z.Z. Flyer himself. The day before, he came home late, and Basil kindly persuaded him to get some sleep for today, with a promise to allow him to see the contraption first thing in the morning, which was true. Basil was regularly a man of his word.

Indeed, this Z.Z. Flyer was entirely revolutionary, a device entirely of its own kind. He had heard of concepts of a devices that could hover, but to make one to this extent, was almost… extraordinary. Even Basil had said he was surprised someone could make this. Somehow, he and Ice were planning on reprogramming to see its potential, and he was sure everyone was looking forward to it.

However, something seemed to bother him ever since he had been in Basil's house. It felt strange whenever he was around there, as if there was something that he wasn't aware of. Or not just aware of, he meant he was being magnetically pulled towards something in the house, specifically the tool room where the Z.Z. Flyer was. He kept going back there even after he was done with business with the Z.Z. Flyer, but somehow, he just ended up in that room.

Something had bothered him all this time, and yes, all morning, and all afternoon, he was just searching the place and trying to figure out what in the world was bothering him. He eventually found it: the change log. It was only a notebook with notes on what was altered and changed. It was never signed by name because there was pretty much only two people working on this… until he couldn't help but notice that there was a third handwriting. The words were a bit slant, but it could just be Basil being in a hurry. There was nothing wrong with it, so he had to abandon his search. Basil and Ice noticed how tired he still was, and allowed him to go outside.

"You should get some rest," Basil suggested. "Oh, and give Cocona Village a visit. It's really pretty at night, and we'll pick you up if you're still there by ten."

So, Keith was given a map, and some other things (keys to one of Ice's motorcycles, keys to the house), and he was off on a "journey" again. Thus, how he ended up on the dirt path to Cocona Village. From what Ice had told him, there were many things that went on at Cocona Village. There was some mention of some Rainbow Festival coming up in a month or so. If he were able to, he'd probably like to go see what it was all about…

Then he stopped. Something was wrong again. He looked around, and realized that his Pokemon Partner had gone missing. Panic filled his system, and he was spinning around on his feet, confused.

"Buizel?" Keith muttered, and he then decided to just go around the curb where Buizel could have gone, but then his feet felt no ground on the last step.

The next thing he knew, he was falling for a few seconds before falling flat on the ground like a pancake. The pain stung on his back, and he was sure that if it wasn't for Black Water, he'd be down with a broken spine at this point.

"Bui!"

He felt his partner's tongue licking him in the face as he groaned. The redhead slowly got up to his feet and looked up from where he fell. This must be a very deep pit… a trap?

"H-Help…" A small voice called out to him, and Keith spun on his feet. He looked at the young boy huddled in the corner. Keith wondered if the boy was injured or not.

"Hey, kid," He bent down to the stranger's level. "You all right?"

"No, not really," the boy whimpered. He was hugging his knees as if he were trying to comfort himself. How long had he been in here?

Keith pitied the boy and patted the boy's head. The thin locks of green hair were peeking out of his tousled bandanna.

"Don't worry, kid," the Ranger smiled. "I'll get you out of here soon."

"O-okay…" the boy nodded weakly, and looked up at the ray of light coming in from the top of the hole. "The hole is about 10 meters deep. It's almost impossible to get out."

Keith stopped and stared at the boy for the moment. Did he just estimate the depth of the hole? Just how old was this kid? Looks can be deceiving, after all.

"Wah…." The green haired boy whined and buried his face in his knees. "We're never going to get out, and we're going to stay here and grow old and die, and no one will be able to find us…"

Keith's impression of the boy dropped. So, he had good analysis skills, but severely lacked self-confidence. What a strange combination of character.

"We'll get out," he said confidently, and the boy looked very doubtful.

"But it's ten meters."

"Ten meters?" Keith smiled, and held out a hand. "That shouldn't be a problem. Just trust me."

"O-Okay…"

The boy hesitantly reached out to the Ranger, and Keith helped him up to his feet before hoisting him up. The boy's foot was hurt, after all. Buizel jumped onto his back, landing in the boy's lap. The curious child stared at the Pokemon sitting on him, and began petting it, but looked slightly squeamish about it. Keith chuckled at the boy's behavior.

"It's all right," he smiled. "Buizel won't bite you."

"O-Okay…" The boy nodded and resumed petting the Pokemon while Keith continued to scrutinize the hole. "U-um… sir…? How are we going to-"

Before the boy could finish, Keith was springing from the ground, and air was pressuring down on them. After half a second, the three of them felt gravity summoning them back to the ground, until Keith stretched his legs and landed with a loud thump. The Ranger winced at the small whiplash that followed after the soles of his feet hit the ground, but nothing could be compared to the immense trembling of the child. Keith couldn't blame him at all. Who meets a Ranger with Black Water abilities every day?

"It's all right, kid," he tried to comfort the poor boy. "We're out now, see?"

The terrified child opened his eyes and saw that he was surrounded by the familiar trees and jungles instead of dirt walls of the pit. Once he was calmer, Keith set the boy down and looked back at the hole. It certainly wouldn't do to leave the hole there and let more passers-by fall into it. The boy was lucky that Keith had the power to jump so high.

He looked over in the distance and saw an Aipom frolicking in the shrubs. Quickly, he released his Capture Disc and summoned it over to the hole, asking the Pokemon to fill the hole with as many boulders as it could. The Aipom did as it was told, and when the job was finished, it went off on its own everyday duties. The boy was watching incredulously at how easily Keith handled the situation, and seconds passed before he could speak.

"W-Wow…" he was speaking in a manner between gushing and terrified. "A-Are you a Ranger?"

Keith wanted to say, "Of course I am a Ranger," but looked at himself. Today he dressed himself in regular clothes. Well, one could tell with a Styler, but that was out of the question. Okay, made sense.

"Yes," He said patiently. "Yes, I'm a Ranger. The name's Keith. Keith Mustang. What's your name kid?"

"Um… Nick…?"

"Okay, then Nick," Keith hefted the boy to his feet. "Can you walk?"

"Yeah, just a little bit…"

"All right," He said. "I'm guessing you're from Cocona Village?"

"Yeah," Nick nodded. "I'm an shipbuilder apprentice of Booker."

"Shipbuilder?" The redhead was taken aback. "Is that job age-appropriate for you?"

"Well, I'm twelve years old," Nick said quietly. "But people think I'm seven…"

"Well, you sure look pretty young for a twelve year old," Keith chuckled. "But don't worry. Wait till you're sixteen, then you'll shooting up like bamboo."

"T-That… doesn't sound great…"

"No, I meant it figuratively."

"O-Oh…"

"Come on, let's get you home."

* * *

><p>Supposedly, Nick's master's home was very close to the shore, directly in the harbor. After a small course along the beach, they arrived at a fairly sized house of wood painted yellow with a red roof, lined with circular glass windows like those of a ship's starboard. Keith could tell that Cocona Village was very influenced on the seas that it sat next to.<p>

Nick seemed eager to start running, but his ankle was really bothering him. Keith had to hold the boy back, knowing that his ankle was hurt badly enough, but the boy kept trying to pull through his hold. What was exciting him so much anyway?

"Ah, Nick, where have you been?"

An old man who was standing outside the house was staring at them, specifically Nick. Keith assumed that was Booker.

"I-I'm sorry!" The boy squeaked and tried to run over, but Keith held tightly onto him.

"Now now," The Ranger said, sighing at Nick's antics. "You're ankle's pretty messed up."

He then looked up at Booker, whose impatience seemed to be running out (like a certain professor back at the Union), but he quickly diffused it with a thorough explanation. By the time he was finished explaining Nick (somehow he explained his own situation), they were already done with Nick's foot injury, and they were outside again in the middle of the beach.

"Ah, I see," Booker nodded. "Well, thank you, sonny, for bringing lil' Nick home. Don't worry too much about him. He thinks very negatively sometimes."

"Oh, right." Keith already knew that first hand. He then noticed a great amount of wood lying about the beach. Booker read his eyes and then gave a nervous laugh.

"Oh, sorry 'bout the mess," he said. "A friend and I've been chopping wood, so we're just leaving it lying around until we're done. Old men like us can't do everything all at once like you young ones do."

"Chopping wood?" Keith raised an eyebrow. "If you want some help, I'm always happy to help out. I'm a Ranger, after all."

"Oh, but we shouldn't trouble you, Keith," Booker laughed. "You're on vacation, arent'cha?"

Keith smiled. "No, it's no problem at all! I'm really itching to get some exercise during my vacation, you know."

"I see," Booker nodded. "Well, if you insist, I guess I need another hand here. Here, come on, follow me."

Keith went after the old man, who began whistling some traditional tune. At first, the Ranger could have guessed the man was about sixty years old, but his feet weren't so wobbly like any elderly man his age. He must have been a strong man back in his prime, Keith thought. They walked across the beach, and around the beach house, where a much elderly man was already working on chopping wood.

The man was most surprisingly very buff, and Keith would have mistaken him for someone younger had it not been for the long stringy gray-white hair that was hanging out from under his pine green beanie. For someone who lived near the beach, the man had the gall to wear two thick green knit sweaters, and long pants. He was immensely large, perhaps larger than Keith, and his giant-like stature echoed his days as a possible weightlifter.

The large man looked up from his work, and noticed that Booker and Keith had come. He gave a wide toothy grin, very much unlike his formerly sullen expression.

"You got another one to help me?"

"Oh, yes," Booker nodded. "Arley, this is Keith. Keith this is Arley."

The giant dropped the axe, and held out a large hand, his large smile still plastered on his face.

"Nice to meet you, Keith," he said in a deep bellow. "Yes, I am Arley, and I'm a retired weightlifter. I tend to do a lot of lumber work around here, if anyone needs a big set of arms."

"Oh," Keith nodded, his suspicions confirmed. "I'm a Ranger from Almia, and I'm on vacation here."

"A Ranger?" the man's thick eyebrows raised. "I guess I can't tell, when you kids don't wear your red and black shirts."

"Oh, it's all right," Keith laughed. "I'm pretty well-known as a Ranger, so I prefer to be kept quiet about my whereabouts when I'm on vacation."

"Is that right?" Arley chuckled heartily. "What a day. I just met a Ranger, and a celebrity at that. Say, won't you give me a hand, Mr. Superstar?"

"Sure."

"Here, you just chop the wood in half here. Take this axe, too."

Keith took the handle, and gave it a small swing. Eyeing the wood sitting upright on a nearby stump, he gave the axe a step back before bringing it over his head as if it were merely a rod of kindling. The steel blade of the axe was brought down upon the piece of wood, and went through the stump into the sand. For a moment, the wood didn't seem to be hit at all, but seconds later, the two pieces diverged and flopped onto the sand below. Booker gave a low whistle, deeply impressed at the Ranger's strength.

"Wow," Arley grinned. "For a sapling like you, you're pretty ripe for your age." [1]

"Well, I've been conditioned this way," Keith smiled slightly. "Work like this has never been much of a problem for me."

Of course there wasn't much of a problem. By tapping into his Black Water abilities, he'd have inhuman strength that could only rival a Machamp. He continued like this for a few more hours, and the pile of finished wood was exponentially larger than the time Keith had arrived. Booker was more than pleased, and Arley was beaming.

"Goodness, and I wonder how much more wood I couldn't chop without you," Arley laughed.

"Thank you, sir," Keith gave a small bow.

"You're great, kiddo," Booker slapped him on the back. "Say, you're of age. Why don't you come have a drink with us? There's place downtown where the beer's great! And with all the work we've done. I'd say this calls for a celebration!"

Keith gaped in embarrassment, and held his hands up to reject the offer. "Um, sir, I'd highly-"

"Nonsense!" Booker slapped Keith on the back. "You're of age, and uptight guys like you need time to relax. Please, I insist." [2]

* * *

><p>Ice took slow steps down the brightly-lit roads of the dining center of Renbow Island's downtown district. He wanted to be as slow as possible, seeing as he didn't want to come to face with a drunk friend. Getting a call from Booker, of all people, was meant to be a bad sign, especially when the shipbuilder was calling from Keith's phone.<p>

He arrived at the bar that he heard that Booker frequented with Arley on good occasions, and he stepped in, taking in the scent of heavy beer everywhere. It didn't take long to find the nearest table with the recognizable mop of spiky red hair sitting on the wooden surface, with Booker and Arley still asking for more glasses. The elderly men spotted Ice, and gave him a wave.

"Hey there, Ice!" Booker stumbled out of his seat. "How's the Aqua Resort?" [3]

"Running very smoothly, as usual," Ice smiled slightly. He didn't like the stench of alcohol here, and he wondered how Keith got himself here of all places.

"Good thing he told us to call you if things happen," the shipbuilder said pointedly at the drunken Ranger. "Guess he's staying at Basil's and your place?"

"Yeah," Ice nodded, and he pointed at Keith. "He's completely out of it, is he?"

"Very drunk, I'd say," Arley grinned. "Hope you get him home quick. Does he have a wife?"

"Uh, no," Ice shrugged. "But he's got a girlfriend."

"A girlfriend, then?" Booker laughed and propped the intoxicated redhead up. "Hope she takes care of him then. He's gonna need a long rest."

"I hope so, too," Ice received the load that was his friend, and tossed Keith's limp arm over his own shoulder, and slowly made his way out of the bar. Strangely, Keith didn't smell as bad as the other two. He must have dropped after one or two glasses, depending on his tolerance of alcohol. He remembered someone telling him that the Ranger didn't drink very much.

Once he was outside in the fresh night air, he could see a pair of headlights cruising down the road in his direction. He recognized the car to be one of his own as the vehicle stopped right in front of him. The driver's seat opened, and out came the trailing black coat and brown hair.

"Basil said you needed some help," Kate said in a low voice. She gave Keith a small glance before turning her attention back to Ice.

"Well, I was planning on calling a cab," He shrugged, and handed the drunk man over to Kate, who was already on the way to the backseat. She literally tossed the inebriated redhead into the backseat so hard that he hit his head on the door, knocking him out. Ice didn't say anything as he took the driver's seat and started the engines while Kate clambered into the back.

"Why'd you come out here, anyway?" Ice asked, his eyes glued to the road.

"I really don't know."

* * *

><p>Keith was terribly drowsy, as if he were in a lucid dream. Lights were repeatedly flashing across his face, but they did little effort to clear his vision. His entire body was numb, and he could only feel cold air hitting his face.<p>

He moaned a little, pain throbbing horribly throughout his head. In response, he felt something warm rest on his forehead, a hand. The touch was almost recognizable, and he was sure he had felt this hand before. Perhaps it was much coarser than the last time he had touched it, but the shape of the fingers, and feel of the skin, it was all the same as three years ago.

"… Is that you…?" He groaned, and Keith felt the hand lift away, as if offended by the question. His entire body went numb again, as he felt a desire to fall asleep again. Just before the last light passed by his eyes, he heard a voice, the same one as the voice he heard over the phone with Basil.

"… Yes… It is me."

* * *

><p>Rand's morning consisted of feeling an empty bed, since Leanne woke up far earlier than anyone in the house, and he'd head off to get dressed. He shuffled to the restroom to brush his teeth, shave, all of the things that were mundane of a man to the do in the morning. The Ranger groggily dressed himself, shorts first, shirt later. He could hear Nema chattering downstairs. Somehow, everyone else always managed to wake up earlier than he.<p>

He was more awake when he walked down to the first floor. Nema was setting up the plates and forks and knives, while Leanne was busy frying eggs. It didn't take long to notice that his wife was wearing her hair up into its usual bun, compared to the day when Nema went out for too long. Probably, she was going to go back to her studies and finish that research paper on runes that she had been gushing over two weeks ago.

Leanne looked up from the stove and noticed that he had finally come down. She gave a small smirk and placed her hands on her hips, as if a mother were scolding her child.

"All right, sleeping beauty," she teased. "Why don't you get the mail for us?"

"Yeah, Daddy!" Nema cheerfully chimed in. "Get the mail, Daddy!"

Rand smiled at the two of them and trudged to the front door, not irritated with their demands at all. He opened the door to see the sun hitting his face, and then he bent over to look for get the bundle of letters that the mailman took the liberty to deliver at their doorstep. He looked over the mail as he slowly made his way back into the house. There were only bills, the monthly letters from far away family, and a report from the Union that should have come last month… an anonymous letter.

The Ranger was surprised. Who was this from?

It was a thin letter, probably had only one sheet of paper. He set all the other letters down at the table that sat right next to their door, the strange letters still in his hand. He quickly opened it, and saw it was a postcard from Oblivia, specifically of the cliff on Renbow Island where his family lived. Now why would someone send him this? He lived in Oblivia, after all.

He turned the card over and saw a message out of magazine cutouts. It was not sloppy, nor was it very neat. He could see that there was some time taken into this message, but either way, the sight of it made chills run down his spine when he saw a matchstick taped to the postcard.

_Here lies the matchstick that will ignite the chaos that soon follows. It is your choice to light it or not. Find us, and the fire will start. Don't find us, and you won't lose anything. Remember, this is your decision. Beware the consequences._

The matchstick was already used, and burnt, so Rand didn't see how that would randomly light up and burn his house down. But the message was very clear.

He stuffed the threatening postcard into his pockets and quietly returned to the dinner table to join his wife and daughter. Nema was too enamoured by her eggs and was chattering nonstop about her plans to visit Basil and Ice's house to see the Z.Z. Flyer. Leanne smiled and laughed at Nema's enthusiasm.

Rand's face fell at the thought. He had to tell Keith about this.

"What is it, honey?" Leanne stared at her husband, her eyebrows knitting in concern.

"Oh, nothing." Rand said briskly. "Just got the mail. That's all."

* * *

><p>NOTES:<p>

[1] Yes, our there is very consistent theme naming. I'd highly recommend you play the game first then read this, because I won't be generous to explain everything… And yes, Arley Bunyan makes plant jokes. My notorious literature fangirliness will be prominent from now on.

[2] Hooray, Keith gets drunk for the first time!

[3] Yes, Basil owns the Aqua Resort, or furthermore, Sophian Island. If you play the game, and talked to every single civilian in the houses at the Aqua Resort, you'll find the old man who mentions that there is a unnamed billionaire who bought the island and built the resort. Go on and check it. I'm not lying.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** _Hooray! The actual plots begins next chapter! And just now just decided to allow "book covers"… Dunno if I have time to bother designing one… I actually kinda like the new layout. Everything looks more refined than the first time I learned about this website, and I like it. The only thing I have to complain about is the strange mixup of the order in the cross-overs section. Why are the letters messed up and why is it not in alphabetical order? It's really confusing and hard to navigate, so I hope that issue is fixed soon._

_Well, I personally like this better than Jamendo's site update. Sure it's prettier, but the search engine was very annoying and took too long. I couldn't really search any tags on the music without getting a whole album of one author the first thing I see._

_Also, I was on vacation at this point, so I was being forced to swim in the ocean, but I was allowed time to write all this in the beach house. Funny. Oblvia's pretty much like my vacation destination. Well, it's really hot, I guess, and humidity is insanely high… For a person who lives in temperate weather, I really want to stay inside the beach house all day instead of going outside… At least the ocean is refreshing to swim in._


	7. Empathy

**Tracks of Light**

**Chapter 07 – Empathy**

* * *

><p>"We're almost there!" Summer yelled excitedly. "Come on, Ben! Let's decrease altitude so we can see the island before we land! I bet it looks cool!"<p>

"Wait, Summer!" Ben called after her, but his voice was cut off by the flock of Pidgeot flew past them. He watched the birds soar in the skies, until he saw something blue flash by the flock, disrupting their dance in the air. Summer fell quiet, and looked up at Ben.

"I hear machines!"

"Whee haa!" A man's voice echoed above them. They looked up and saw a pair of green-uniformed people whizzing by on some sort of machine that allowed them to fly and levitate.

"Let's go after them," Ben suggested, and Summer gave a grunt of approval and gave her partner a small nudge on the side to start flying after the strangers. They were very quiet, flying behind those people. Ben took a closer look. With his goggles on, he could see that they were chasing after a strange blue Pokemon he had never seen before in real life… it must be a legendary…

One of the people in pursuit of the Pokemon cackled. "Just give up already! Do you really think you can get away? You just don't know when to give up!"

Ben's Staraptor squawked in offense of the woman's taunts, catching both the strangers' attention. Ben could clearly see that the two wore the near same thing: the same pattern and colors.

"Wh-Who's that?" The woman gaped.

The man squinted, his eyes widening upon realization. "Red goggles... A yellow scarf…"

The woman paled in response. "And a Capture Styler! You're... A Pokemon Ranger!"

The Pokemon they were chasing gave a small cry before speeding away into the clouds. The man snarled at his loss.

"Feh! Our target got away!"

The woman delivered a nasty glare at them. "Oblivia's very peaceful. We don't need a Ranger like you!"

"You must be Pinchers," Ben declared. "If you are causing trouble around here, I will have to hurt you."

"Hurt us? Ha!" the men laughed, and pressed several buttons into their machine. "This is how we dispose of unnecessary trash! With a Plasma Cannon!"

Ben's reflexes peaked the moment he saw a fireball of green and pink come straight at him, and with a harsh kick into his Staraptor's side, they rolled over in the air, just like a well-piloted fighter plane. He didn't get quite a break just yet when a shower of green fireballs was still being fired at him. The Pinchers gaped at his quick movements.

"How did that Ranger manage to dodge my attacks...?"

The woman was still glaring at him. "You are good... But let's see if you can handle our double-team attack!"

Ben didn't say anything as he took out the steel tonfas that Murph gave him, and he swung it across the plasma fireball, hitting it back at them. The Pinchers gasped as they dodged the returning attack, but they didn't relent. Ben was in the face of a lot more fireballs, more than he can dodge, so much he had to hit a few back at them, hoping it would destroy their cannons. However, the barrage of bullets stopped and the Pinchers were feverishly jamming their fingers on their triggers, confused as to why their cannons weren't launching anymore fireballs.

The male Pincher was the first to go sheet white. "Oh no! My Plasma Cannon's battery is dead!"

The woman Pincher was next to go pale, "Mine, too! Scaring our target with wild firing might not have been the best idea..."

The Pinchers exchanged looks before facing Ben, who kept his tonfas up in defense. "I guess we'll just have to ram 'em!"

The two of them approached him slowly, their motors running faster as they prepared for acceleration, but a streak of gray blocked them, and Ben was still in place. Summer flew to his side, her hair flying in the wind. She was proud that she managed to make it before Ben got into any more trouble, and she sat up on her Staraptor, head held high.

"Are you sure you want to do that? Now you have to deal with two Rangers! Let's make this a fair fight!"

Summer's appearance didn't make the Pinchers' situation any better. "Oh no! There was more than one of them!"

The male Pincher was still hysterical over his weapon. "The Plasma Cannons aren't working! Rangers keep popping up! I hate to say it, but it looks like we have to retreat!"

"What do you mean, 'retreat'?" Another voice rose from behind the Pinchers. Ben and Summer held their arms up in defense as new figure rose from the clouds. A man with blonde hair with red endings appeared, in a red version of the Pinchers' flying machines. Ben recognized that the newcomer must be a rank higher than the two they had just fought. He didn't think he'd meet an executive this soon.

"Our leader!" the Pinchers gasped. "They're Pokemon Rangers!"

The man didn't seem to pay any attention to them. "I can see that. Two aerial Ranger brats putting on airs with their bright red goggles and yellow scarves. What a joke!"

Ben could feel anger rising from his partner. "Who's a joke? You're the leader of a team that can't even handle a couple of 'brats'!"

The man's eyes turned cold as they fell upon Summer. "You there... Do you know the consequences for mouthing off like that? I have just the sport for a tough-talking brat like you. Skydiving... with no parachute! Take that!"

"Summer!" Ben didn't take any second to wait. He directed his Staraptor towards Summer and quickly shoved her out of the way, a bright ball of purple flying coming in from his left. In a matter of seconds, Ben could feel electricity coursing through his body. Despite the resistance his body had built up thanks to Black Water, it was incredibly painful, and he screamed. He could hear Summer's anguished cry as he and his Staraptor began to hover before losing altitude, gravity taking over their bodies.

Summer was sure this wasn't supposed to happen. Ben was a superman! He couldn't get out of a mission like this! This was too soon! It was only a few seconds into the mission, and he was already dead, all because she was too full of herself.

The leader of the Pinchers was more than pleased with his results. "Sacrificing themselves to save another... How bold. You should a least thank your partner for saving you."

Summer's grip on her Staraptor began to slacken. Ben was going to die. There was no way he was going to survive a drop like that, even if he had his durability from that poison. He wasn't going to live. The chances were very slim... She was going to have to face all this alone. She would have to take the burden upon herself, hers and Ben's.

But Ben meant so much to her… she couldn't let his death be in vain… but she realized it now. She could never really do anything without him. Now that he was gone… She might as well…

Before she could seriously consider letting go of her partner Pokemon, she felt a pair of strong arms catch her, and her Staraptor squawking in terror as it was being collared and leashed down. She felt rings of steel clasped around her wrists behind her, and she made no effort to move. [1]

"Well, now... You seem lucky," the man's voice chuckled. "Maybe we should make you into our lucky charm."

* * *

><p>Keith tapped his foot impatiently, wondering if he should just go inside. He had trust in his student that he and his partner would make it on time to Basil's residence without delay, but he was mistaken when it had three hours off timing already. But the voice in his head was floundering with possibilities.<p>

Perhaps they were facing of Pinchers on the way.

True, Keith thought. Lately, the three days after he and Ice found Nema running from Pinchers, the organization's activities spiked. More and more reports of Pinchers and their vehicles were sent in, and Rand was complaining nonstop about the lack of Rangers that were supposed to come in. Lately, the Oblivian Ranger Base was becoming more busy, with people running in to report instead of using the telephone.

Sadly to say, Rand was already just as panicky about the situation more than anyone else. Ever since he got that threat in the mail, he had been one edge about things lately. It wasn't long when Basil offered to let the family stay at his place. After all, Pinchers shouldn't be able to attack the home of a worldwide billionaire when they didn't want any attention.

Ice had already gone to Rand's home to help move things into their house. Leanne learned of the situation quickly, but Rand had heavily noted that they had not told Nema, but he has made much effort to bring her experiments over to Basil's. Progress was moderately slow, but Ice reassured Keith and Basil that things were going all right.

"Keith?"

He turned around and saw that Basil had come to join him up on the roof. The young man had decided to stay back home, putting his utmost trust in Ice to bring Leanne's research to his home.

"Hey, Basil," Keith replied curtly. Basil took a seat in one of the chairs that were set up on the roof.

"They haven't come here yet, have they?" Basil guessed, and Keith nodded slowly.

Basil laid back in his seat, shielding his eyes from the oppressive sun.

"Is your headache all right?"

"I guess it's all right," Keith said absentmindedly. The day after he was invited to a bar with Booker and Arley, he had somehow gotten stone drunk, and he woke the next day back in his usual bedroom in Basil's place.

What puzzled Keith even more was his sudden dream of having heard her, but never seeing her. It was almost too lucid for a dream. He was sure he could remember how close his proximity was to her, and he had felt her hand, but then again, it could be just something he desired so much he fooled himself into thinking that every dream he had about her was real.

Speaking of dreams, he really should be dreaming that they weren't making it on time.

"I really can't wait here any longer," the redhead made his way to the ladder that led downstairs, and Basil called after him.

"I called Booker to go see if any of them were found on Dolce Island, just to let you know."

* * *

><p><em>Ben opened his eyes and saw a vast area of blue. His body was unfeeling, as if he had been stuffed into the refridgerator to be cooked later. He then realized that he was in the ocean, and he stared at his hands, which weren't cut up as they really should be.<em>

"_I'm… alive?"_

_No one was going to answer him, so he proceeded to look around. He was still wearing his regular Ranger uniform, and he was very sure his Styler was with him. He even had his shoes on, too. He stared down at the rubble that lay before him._

_Ben could only assume he was very deep in the ocean, if he managed to get this far to the sea floor. And the rubble must have existed for a long time, with all the algae stuck all over the place. The most prominent thing he could see with the ruins under this sea was the strange symbol of red and orange flourishes, almost similar to feathers._

_However, a loud rumbling echoed in his ears, and he turned around to see a large block of steel and lights coming his way. He held his arms up to shield himself, but he could feel the harsh pull of the water tugging him away from the rubble and to the rest of the ocean. Salt began to fill his mouth, and he gasped for air, his vision blackening._

* * *

><p>Eyes snapping open, Ben sprang from where he stood. He was now on a white, sandy beach, just like something that should come from the tourist postcard one could find in a gift shop. Was he in Oblivia? He was drenching wet, but his clothes were already starting to dry. Slightly irritated, Ben tried to wipe off the sand that clung to his arms and legs, but his arms stung with cuts. He seethed at the pain and stared at the ocean. How did he even get here?<p>

Tattered and torn, he decided to trudge into the jungle that awaited him. Just a few steps in, and he met with a very large overgrowth of vines and trees. His shoes squelched against his feet and snapped the twigs across the floor. Ben really would have liked walking in here, had it not been for his very wet appearance. He finally made it into a clearing in the jungle and wanted to fall over in the grass and sleep for the night. Surely, no hostile Pokemon would attack him, as long as he made a fire.

His thoughts stopped when he heard an anguished cry of Pokemon, mostly likely small. He made his way over to the source of the sound, hoping it was a Pokemon he heard. So far, he had noticed the sudden lack of Pokemon. A jungle as dense as this should be full of Pokemon, large and small.

Ben pushed a leaf out of his way, and he stepped out into a crudely made dirt path. So someone did live here, if there was a path…

The Ranger looked about and finally spotted a small ball of yellow fire and a small blue object in the distance. He trotted over to the supposed Pokemon, feet squelching loudly. The Pokemon jumped in fright of his terrible shoes, and it looked in its direction.

"Pi…?"

Ben stopped when he was a meter's distance from it. It was a Pichu, with a large blue ukulele strapped across its back. Most noticeably, Ben could see that it wasn't looking cheerful like most Pichu would be. Its ears were drooping over its face, as if trying to hide its expression. The poor little thing was even hiccupping. Had it been… crying…?

He bent down to his knees and held out his hand, hoping to sympathize with it. The Pichu flinched at his movements, and it panicked. Sparks began to fly everywhere, mostly directed at Ben, and he held his hands to his face. These electric sparks were nothing to him, so he merely stayed here until Pichu calmed down. The Pichu continued to sob as it possibly amplified its energy, stinging Ben.

Ben began to scoot towards the crying Pokemon. He could understand what was going on. The Pichu must have lost something very dear to it, and it was natural. Young Pichu like this one was prone to emotional instability, as he had remembered from the research notes he had to study back at the Academy. [2]

The Ranger was only inches away from the Pichu before bringing his arms around the yellow mouse Pokemon. The Pichu squeaked, but buried its poor little head into his chest as Ben hugged the little Pokemon close. It needed support, and Ben was lucky enough to make it in time.

"It's okay…" he choked out. "It's okay…"

The Pichu trembled as the electric storm died down, and Ben could see the area around him was entirely devoid of vegetation. Ben cradled the poor thing, careful not to break the strings of the ukulele.

"It's okay…" he said quietly, coaxing it to sleep. At this point, the Pichu should rest. He waited quietly for the little mouse to fall asleep before looking around to find his way out of this jungle. He still wasn't sure which island of Oblivia he was, and he was had just tried to send a signal to Keith, but the Styler was broken. Well, now he had no other option than to find a way out himself.

He was searching in this winding maze of trees for what seemed like an hour when he finally admitted to himself that he was lost. He was still holding onto the Pichu as it was asleep. He should've just left it sleeping near a tree, since it was much more comfortable with his arms a metal Styler, but it was deeply asleep.

"Oi!" a voice called out, and the boy looked up from where he stood. The Pichu twitched in its sleep, but continued to slumber as an elderly man was hobbling over through the greenery over to him. He noticed that Ben was holding Pichu.

"Ah, Pichu's okay," he was relieved. "But he's sleeping. This is the first time I've seen the little tyke like this."

"What?" Ben was confused. "Is this Pichu yours?"

"Oh, no," the man shook his head. "It lives on this island. I don't think it'd like to work in my workshop."

"Oh…" Ben trailed off. "I'm sure there were supposed to be Pokemon here. What happened?"

"Don't know," the other shrugged. "Who were those folks who showed up on those UFO-lookin' things anyhow? I was far away, and I couldn't see very well... But what were they doin' chasin' Pokémon 'round anyways?"

"UFO?" the Ranger was puzzled ."Um… I wouldn't know that…"

"Well, you're a Ranger," the man laughed. "Boys like you should know! Just kiddin' ya! Your name's Ben, right? Basil's told me all about you before I set off for the island! He said that you 'were off the grid' or something'. I'm Booker, the master shipbuilder from Renbow Island across the way."

"Well," Ben said hesitantly. "Nice to meet you, Booker."

"No worries," Booker chuckled. And pointed to a path. "This way, m'boy! We're going back to Renbow!"

"Oh…" Ben followe after them. "If we're going to Renbow… then which island is this one?"

"This is Dolce Island!" the shipbuilder narrated. "This island doesn't have many places much higher than this, so if there was a tidal wave or somethin', there wouldn't be anyplace to run. So to make sure I'm ready, I'm always buildin' small boats. They're life rafts for the Pokemon that can't fly or swim."

The Pichu whimpered and rolled over in Ben's arms, earning both Booker and Ben's attention.

"Seems like Ukulele Pichu's taken a shine to you," Booker chuckled. "I came up with the nickname 'Ukulele Pichu.'"

"Oh," Ben continued to stare at Pichu, mainly the blue little ukulele. "So is this Pichu special or something? I've never seen a Pichu carry a musical instrument like this."

"The blue ukulele looks great on the Pichu, eh?" Booker smiled, very proud at this fact. "This little Pichu's always makes me feel better when I'm worn out from a hard day of working. So I threw together a ukulele with leftover wood. It can't really play, but every time electricity runs through it, the Ukulele makes a little twang. So it's a great toy for Pichu."

"Oh," Ben nodded in understanding. "I guess it's usually energetic and happy."

"Yup," Booker laughed. "I was almost sure it never slept."

They made their way out of the thick jungle into a grassy knoll, and they took a turn around the little extent of the trees.

"By the way," Booker noted as they walked. "Had ya ever seem a UFO?"

Oh, Ben thought, this talk about UFO. He was thoroughly sure that aliens were not in Oblivia. Otherwise, Murph would have said so in the report, and he probably would've dispatched more Rangers to the region. A mistake?

"No," Ben said. "I suppose I wasn't told about that. What's your story?"

"When I was strollin' 'long the beach of Renbow Island," Booker narrated. "I saw UfO's flyin' above Dolce Island. I was worried about the Pokemon so I hurried over on my boat, well, before Basil gave me a call about you possibly landing in Dolce Island."

"Oh, sorry about that," Ben smiled unsurely.

"Don't worry about it," Booker laughed. "When I got here a suspicious group was chasin' round the Pokemon. Then, before I could even holler, they disappeared to the sky on their UfO's. Were they aliens? Seems like this Pichu was fine, but there's no sign of its little Pichu pals or any of its other Pokemon friends. They probably hid themselves somewheres."

"I don't know about that…" Ben muttered under his breath. Someone chasing the Pokemon? That sure sounded like Pinchers to him. So, from what he heard, the Pinchers must have abducted the Pokemon off the island. But, surely, this was only a few hours. To wipe all the Pokemon off this island sounded like it would take a week, or even a month.

"But Basil called me about 'cha," Booker was still talking. "So don't you worry! I have a boat on the pier on the beach. Let's head that way! On this part of the fork!"

They rounded about the grove onto an escarpment that sat right next to the bright blue sea. Ben held back a gasp at the breathtaking sight of an ocean, and in the distance, an island, shimmering with the glasses of a town. At the top of the island, at the tallest of mountains, was a blinking light of a metal tower.

"That's where we're headed - Renbow Island," Booker said pointedly. "I live in Cocona Village on that island. Renbow island boasts bountiful Pokemon-filled nature, simple and honest folk, and the magnificent Wireless Tower on top of that mountain. An' Basil's house is there, too."

"Well, I think I'll have to be in a hurry," Ben added. "I think I might have accidentally spent too much time trying to find my way out. I think my teacher might get mad or something."

"Like I said, Benny," Booker patted him on the back. "Don't you worry. I'll get you to Renbow in a jiffy! This way please!"

They arrived out into another beach, where there was a floor's worth of wooden stairs. However, that wasn't what Booker was worried about. He gaped at the beach, his hands flailing.

"What?" Booker turned red in embarrassment. "My boat is gone? I must've been in such a rush that I plumb forgot to tie my boat to the pier. I may be a mater shipbuilder, but I'm a tad rash and tend to do hints like this from time to time..."

"Hah…" Ben shrugged, rocking the Pichu in his arms. "I figured you reminded me of someone…"

"Now I've done it..." Booker complained, almost similar to whining. "I can't get back to Renbow Island now. I've got it! We can just use the ship I started building here!"

Ben looked at the boat that was right next to the first flight of stairs, "Um… you sure?"

"No need fer the worried face," Booker's mood bounced back. "Even if it ain't finished, I still built it! It's still safer than other people's finished boats. I need a favor though, Ben. Can you push that boat into the ocean? Usually I need about five strong backs to move it, but today all I got is you. You're a Pokemon Ranger so you can figure something out, right?"

"Um… sure…" Ben shrugged, and then handed him the sleeping Pichu. "Just hold the little guy…"

"Sure thing, Benny!" Booker nodded, and Ben walked back to the wooden boat. He eyed the boat, estimating the weight and tucked his hands under the wooden planks, and heaved. He effortlessly lifted it over his head, and began carrying it down the wooden stairs. Booker followed suit, his jaw dropping at the Ranger's inhuman strength.

"That's a pokemon ranger for you!" He laughed nervously as Ben set the boat down on the sand. "Now we can go to Renbow island. Well then, now our long voyage shall begin! ...Well, actually, it's over in a flash. I've just always been wantin' to say that."

"Oh, okay."

* * *

><p>Indeed, they arrived quite quickly, and with Booker's approval, Ben took the liberty to haul Booker's half-done ship aboard. He wiped his forehead, looking up at the very vast jungle that edged alongside the beach. Booker laughed at Ben's befuddled expression.<p>

"Pretty quick, wasn't it?" Booker then pointed to his beach house and workshop. "My house is right over there. I'll call Basil up for 'ya real quick."

Ben gave a slow nod, and he made his way to the house. Before he could turn the doorknob, the door opened for him, and a boy with green hair and striped shirt and pants stood before him. Another boy was hiding behind him, wearing a cap with the prominent letter R. Booker followed closely behind, earning a sense of familiarity from the boy.

"Welcome back, Booker!" the capped boy grinned.

"Oh, hello there, Ralph," Booker allowed Ben inside first, before stepping in himself. "You're nice and dirty. Full of energy as always, I see."

"You're embarrassing me," Ralph giggled as the elderly man took off his hat and ruffled his hair. "That's a weird compliment, by the way."

Ben made his way over to the green haired boy handing Pichu over quietly. The boy was no younger than he was, and he seemed to live in the same house as Booker.

"Hey," he said in a low voice. "You can put this Pichu in a bed. It's kinda unstable, so it needs to sleep a bit."

The green haired boy seemed squeamish, but upon the touch of soft fur, the boy complied, muttering a small nervous "okay" before slinking away to a bedroom behind the workshop. Ben turned around to see that Ralph, the boy with the cap, was staring directly at him.

"Grandpa Booker," the boy said. "Who's that?"

"Oh," Booker pointed at Ben. "This here's Ben, a Pokémon Ranger."

Ralph was very excited about this fact. "Really? But that Pokémon Ranger uniform seems kinda different. I've never seen a Ranger with red goggles and a yellow scarf before."

Booker nodded in agreement, "The uniform does seem a little different. There's no doubt Ben's a Ranger, though. The proof is that I saw the whirlin' round stuff with my own eyes."

"Whirl stuff around?" Ralph was even more excited. "Do you mean a capture? If that's what it was, I sure wish I could've seen it."

"Well, I'm sure you'll see me in action soon," Ben smiled encouragingly. "I'm here to take care of your 'UFO' problem after all."

"Really?" Ralph beamed. "Thank you very much, Ranger! Everyone's worried about the UFOs here. I hope you do your best!"

"Sure thing, Ralph," Ben smiled, and Ralph waved goodbye before running out of the house. Booker laughed afterwards, heading off to the phone.

"Ralph is such a reliable boy," he commented. "He can probably tell you lots about this island as well. By the by... I'll bet you're tuckered out from everythin' today. Take a rest before that redheaded Ranger comes by to pick you up."

Oh, Ben inwardly groaned. His teacher was coming to pick him up. He hoped he wouldn't be getting an earful about not following directions, not when his day got all screwed up.

"Okay," the green haired boy walked out from behind the house and saw Booker. "Welcome home, boss! Who is this person with you-"

The green haired boy turned pale, and soon he began to sputter, "Oh no... Could it be? Disillusioned with being a Ranger, this person has come to ask to be your new apprentice? Then, moved by those words, you decided to take them in? If that's the case, I'm no longer needed, so it's pack your bags and hit the road, right? Boss! How could you do that to me?"

"Ben isn't doin' any such thing," Booker walked out of the kitchen, the phone in his hand. "If you don't have anythin' better to do than dream up lame stories, why don't you hurry and get our guest some tea! Ah, yes? Yes, I'm telling you, Ben's over here…"

The green haired boy gave a sigh of relief before facing Ben, "Well, sorry about that… Um… do you want anything? Tea? Juice?"

"Juice is fine," Ben smiled, and Nick hurried to the kitchen. Booker emerged, his face looking very pleased.

"Well, I called Basil," Booker grinned. "Oh, and that boy? That's my apprentice shipbuilder, Nick. He's a hard worker, but he has a wild imagination, and he's always worryin' about foolish things. 'Cause of that, work gets interrupted all the time."

"Oh, he's probably a good person," Ben tried to be nice. "He probably worries about everyone a lot."

"Well, figures…" Booker said. "By the way, Ben, how'dya get on Dolce Island? And... When I met you, your clothes were soaked. What in the world happened?"

Ben took a deep breath to explain certain things, with Booker nodding at every part of the story. Nick came in later, with drinks, and he sat down to listen as well.

"I see..." the master shipbuilder stroked his short beard, almost similar to some other elderly man Ben knew. "So those UFOs are the vehicles of the Pokémon Pinchers, a group that kidnaps Pokémon. That means... They took Dolce Island's Pokémon! What an unbelievable group of good-fer-nothin's!"

"Well, that's only a guess," Ben laughed nervously. "Although from what you described, it sounds like the work of Pinchers."

"What I find worrying is your story about the other Ranger," Nick took everyone's empty glasses, but stopped dead in his tracks on the way to the kitchen. "Oh no! Could it be? Your partner's been caught by the bad guys and is bound with a rope in..."

"Nick!" Booker scolded his apprentice. "Knock off that worthless daydreamin'!"

"S-sorry!" Nick squeaked before scurrying away.

"Ben," Booker spoke reassuringly to Ben. "Being separated from your partner and washin' up here has probably made you a little unsure, but don't you worry none. I'm here, and so is energetic little Ralph and my apprentice Nick. You're not alone. And Ukulele Pichu can soothe you with its cheery music… I've heard you're a friend of Basil's, so you're really in good hands."

"Oh… thank you…" Ben smiled back. "I just hope Pichu's all right, the state it's in…"

"Oh, it'll be all right," Booker grinned. "It's a cheerful little tyke. Loves to sing and dance, no doubt."

"If you want," Nick offered. "We can check up on the Pichu again…"

Ben watched as the green haired apprentice walked behind the shop, and in a few minutes, the boy came rushing out.

"The Pichu is gone!" he said in grief. The front door opened, and in came Ralph.

"We've got big trouble!" The boy screeched. "The UFOs are back! I saw them flying, one after another!"

Fire sparked in Ben's system, and he jumped from his seat. "Really? Where were they heading?"

"Toward Teakwood Forest!" the capped boy said to everyone. "Arley went to see what's going on, but he hasn't come back."

"But this is Arley we're talking about, and he's incredibly strong, so... " Nick trailed off before turning white as a sheet again. "Oh no! Could it be? Perhaps he caught a UFO and was trying to crush it! Catching it was all well and good, but maybe they ended up hitting him with a shrinking ray? And then, and then..."

"Nick!" Booker said warningly before turning to Ben, his face softening. "Ben... I'm sorry to ask favors when you're all tuckered out, but... Could you go to Teakwood Forest and see what's goin' on? I'm sure to tell Keith what's going on, and I'm sure he'll understand."

Ben really wanted to argue that Keith wouldn't do that, and as he walked out the door, Ralph followed suit.

"I'll come, too!"

"Are you sure?" Ben raised an eyebrow. "It may get a little dangerous in the jungle, so I can't keep watch on you."

"I'm worried about Arley!" Ralph reasoned. "He's big and strong, but I was surprised when I heard how old he was. He's really old!"

Ben looked back at Booker, whose face only showed encouragement.

"Don't worry about Ralph so much," the shipbuilder smiled. "The boy has lived near forests all his life. He can help you find the way through Teakwood."

"Thank you, Booker!" Ralph grinned and Ben quietly walked out, with a little boy trailing behind him. Two things were on his mind as he trudged through the sand and up the wooden stairs to the village. He was very concerned about the Pinchers in a jungle, and he was worried about the Pichu. An emotionally unstable Pokemon on the loose could mean bad news for anyone who came across it. He had to hurry.

* * *

><p>Ben was hoping that little Ralph would be able to catch up with him. The Ranger was literally running as fast as he could, so much he could just be tapping into Black Water by accident. They rushed through the village square, and past the large set of ruins. It wasn't long before the two of them arrived at a wooden sign labeled "Teakwood Forest: Enter at your own risk."<p>

"Is this the place?" Ben looked at the panting little boy.

"Uh-huh…"

"Hey! Wait a minute!" A voice came to their attention. The Ranger and boy turned around and saw a concerned archaeologist. "Are you two going to Teakwood Forest? The Pokémon there were really frightened by all the commotion with the UFOs. Many Pokémon will run at the sight of a person. Young boys, especially you, the one with the cap, shouldn't be entering the forest at this day."

"Don't worry, sir," Ben reassured him, displaying his Styler as identification. "I've got permission, and the boy's with me."

The fossil buff reconsidered for a moment before backing down, knowing that a Ranger was in charge. "I won't try to stop you from going into the forest, but be careful."

"Thank you, sir!" Ralph waved away as they ran off into the forest.

They stayed on trail as they proceeded deeper into the thick forest, until Ben heard a distant murmur of voices. He skidded to a halt and held Ralph back, dragging him behind an overgrowth of leaves. Needless to say, a pair of uniformed Pinchers passed right by them, and they were laughing. Ben could feel Ralph quiver in fear, and he could understand why. From what Murph had told him, a great majority of the Pinchers' organization consisted of professional Pokemon poachers, known to be very violent and brutal. He hadn't met the worst of them yet, it seems.

Then, an unfortunate Cherubi hopped out into the open, and it gave a curious look at the Pinchers, who slowed down before it. It seemed to have absolutely no clue as to what was going on, but it seemed very eager to get to know the Pinchers. However, the next thing it got was a very large boot to the face. Ben winced as the poor thing bounced on the jungle grounds, dust flying from wherever it landed. Ralph gasped, but Ben's hands flew over the boy's mouth, and he covered Ralph's eyes, too. Bending over, Ben was right by the little boy's ears.

"Cover your ears," he whispered harshly, and the boy quickly obeyed, right before a loud smack echoed in the jungle, and the Cherubi cried. Ben's eyes didn't tear away from the sight, as he kept his hands on Ralph. He didn't like looking at it either, but he had to observe them for his report. Since this kind of thing has happened to him before, he showed little fear or disgust, but rather, indifference.

"Hey, you," one of the Pinchers sneered. "Don't stand in my way! This is what you'll get!"

The said Pincher raised an arm at it, a gauntlet attached to its wrist. The gauntlet began to glow green, and soon, the little Cherubi, bruised black and blue was turned into little pixels that were absorbed by the gauntlet. The Pinchers exchanged glances, immensely pleased.

"These new Control Gauntlet things they gave us are really great!" One of the grinned. "I have no idea how they work, but it's so easy to catch Pokemon with them. It's much better than the traps you buy in Mafia Row. The Pokemon just make annoying noises and they squirm when you try to capture them."

The other grinned back. "So true. But we shouldn't be slacking off around here. We've got to be back on sentry duty."

"Right," The other nodded. "I still don't think we really need to have someone on watch... I-I'm going, though."

Ben watched as the two Pinchers trotted away, chuckling to themselves, and when they were out of sight, he let Ralph go. The boy gasped for air, and he looked solely on Ben, asking for instructions. The two of them had realized that the jungle was probably crawling with people like these Pinchers, and running into them would mean bad news.

"Seems like the main base of operations must be this way," Ben pointed to the direction the Pinchers came from. "Those poachers were sentries probably just sent out from their base. We'll have to go to the heart of this in order to beat them."

"That leads to Rasp Cavern," Ralph said shakily. "There's nothing important there, though…"

"Or is there?" Ben asked quietly. "Let's get going then, but be aware that we're going to have to go off the trail if we have to."

"Yessir," Ralph nodded slowly, and the two boys went off.

* * *

><p>The only thing that existed on the Pichu's mind was revenge. It was all those strange men in green who took away all of its friends. The Pichu was lucky, just lucky enough to escape. So the news from the other islands were as true as it sounded: invaders had arrived in the island and were eliminating Pokemon who stood in their way. The Pichu didn't believe the others warnings at first, but soon the reality came near when it nearly escaped captivity.<p>

Dolce Island was supposed to be the most quiet of the islands, since no humans lived there. Most of the Pokemon in Oblivia were welcome to human interaction, but the humans they were friends with respected the Pokemon well enough to leave an island alone, just for Pokemon only. The strong bonds and balance had lasted in the many generations of Pokemon and humans who lived on these islands, and this Pichu came from a long line of native Pokemon of Oblivia who have lived alongside humans for centuries, even to the times of temples and oracles. The Pichu was raised by the other Pokemon of the island to know the history of its home, and to understand the importance of many things that both Pokemon and humans built together.

Pichu was devastated when the green men came to the island to take away its friends. The Pokemon worried very much for the Pichu's safety and hid it within the thick forest before bounding off to go off against the invaders, to protect the young. However, that ultimately failed, and Pichu and several others realized that the jungle was almost empty. Yes, it was sad, but even more, it was enraged. That was why it decided to leave the island, to find those green men, and bring justice.

It had gotten out of the kind man's home rather easily. The Pichu was aware that everyone would worry, but it was a voluntary decision to leave. The little mouse had to find those green men, and avenge those friends who couldn't.

It didn't take long to find those men, now that they were situated right before the entrance to a large cave. There were two of them, though the Pichu was sure that there were more of them. They seemed to be standing idly before the entrance. The Pichu preferred it just be one of those green men, but the Pichu was sure it could handle two of them. Thus, the little yellow mouse marked its move.

"I wonder how things are going with the secret team in the cave..." one of the green men muttered. Pichu could see that the opponent wasn't very focused on his job at all. This served good chance to take him out.

"Who knows?" The second shrugged. "Our job is just to guard the entrance. You shouldn't be thinking about anything else."

Pichu wanted to wait a bit longer, since it heard voices coming from the direction of the forest. It could be more of these men, and dealing with multiple enemies would only result in the same demise as its friends. However, the thirst for revenge made the little mouse jump forward, out into the open in the most foolish manner, just enough to get the attention of those green men. [3]

* * *

><p>Ben and Ralph hid closely behind the trees again, and they peered behind the trunks to see a duo of Pinchers standing guard at the entrance of Rasp Cavern. Ben could see that the man was very well built, perhaps a very heavyweight type of poacher, one whose punches packed a ton. The other was a woman, very lithe, and perhaps more crafty about where she placed her hits. Either way, both of them were rather intimidating people. Making a plan would be best.<p>

However, their attention was directed upon a Pichu that stumbled into the clearing before the cavern, one with a recognizable little ukulele on its back. Both the boys gasped in alarm. The Pinchers, however, were skeptical.

"What's with this thing?" The male Pincher pointed at it. "Got a ukulele on its back. Like it could actually play..."

The woman, however, snarled at the little mouse, "I've seen it before! It got away from me recently!"

"Could it be...?" The large men wondered. "Did it chase us here because we caught its friends?"

"Do Pokemon even feel friendship?" The woman scoffed. "It's a little unbelievable, but whatever."

The two Pinchers stepped away from the entrance and began closing in on the Pichu, who remained in a aggressive posture. Ben noted that for a cute Pokemon, it could hold pretty bad grudges and wear nasty glares.

"I'll let you see your friends," The woman taunted the Pokemon. "So just stand still and let me pinch you."

Defiantly, the Pichu created a shower of electric sparks, protecting it from the waves that the Gauntlet sent out to capture it. The two Pinchers stepped back, their faces stern.

"Come on, watch out!" The man murmured to his comrade. "This guy's serious. It looks like it's about to come charging at us."

"Don't sweat it, big boy," the woman giggled. "It's a getting a little fun, with some feisty Pokemon like this one. Why don't we go all out?"

"Sure thing."

The same thing was about to repeat again. The Pichu was sent flying across the ground, and its fragile little body skidded across the dirt. Ben could see that it was twisting in the air so it would hit the ground on its stomach first, so the ukulele on its back could be safe. However, the Pichu was very resilient, getting up after taking such a bad hit, and the little Pokemon stubbornly charged forth, only to be blown back again. The Pinchers were laughing madly about how the little thing couldn't match up to professional poachers like them, and Ben was instinctively assembling his tonfas while they laughed.

"STOP IT!"

Ben nearly dropped his weapons in surprise, and he turned around the trunk to see that Ralph had stepped out, right between the Pichu and the Pinchers. The Ranger dropped his jaw, realizing that he had made the mistake to not watch the younger boy. Both sides of the battle were thoroughly surprised by the entrance of a child. However, the Pinchers regained composure, and began cracking knuckles.

"Now, kid, would you just leave alone here..." The woman said in a sickeningly sweet voice. "Go home to your mommy, before you get hurt."

"I won't leave," Ralph hollered at them. "I'm not going to let you hurt this Pichu!"

"And how are you going to do that, kid?" the man snorted. "I hope you better drink your milk right, kid, cuz you're about get some broken bones."

Ralph tremble furiously, but he remained standing here. He didn't care that he'd get hurt at this point. The Pichu needed help, and this particular Pichu was one of his very close friends! He couldn't let a watch a friend get hurt.

"Come on, boy…" The man approached him. "Move aside-"

The Pincher was cut off when he was tumbling away from the group, his large body rolling into a very tall and thick palm tree, and he groaned, shocked from the sudden attack. The woman was alarmed at her comrade's sudden defeat, but she felt something fast come her way. The poacher jumped backwards, and got up to observe. Ben had finally stepped in, his back to little Ralph and the Pichu, and his tonfas drawn. His blue eyes burned with the intensity of a volcano, and his eyebrows were creased together.

"A Pokemon Ranger?" The woman squawked. The male Pincher got up, and made his way towards the group.

"I heard there were just one old Ranger in Oblivia," He noted. "Seems like they got wind of us. We'll just have to get rid of the extra one!"

"Still," the woman noted. "I don't see how they'd have kids in the Rangers. They can't handle shit."

"Ranger…." Ralph was in awe, but Ben replied to no one. He took a step forward, and in a flash, he was gone. The puzzled Pinchers spun around to look for him, but he appeared right between them, steel tonfas connecting with their checks. They only had time to gasp in surprise before Ben gave a full spin on his feet to deliver a harsh roundhouse kick to their guts. Both of them were flung back to the walls of the cave with tremendous force right before they slid down to the dirt, completely knocked out.

Ben turned around to Ralph and Pichu, his expression softening.

"You okay?" He looked at Ralph. The dumbstruck boy nodded slowly, before pointing at Pichu, who was still on the ground. Ben bent down to look at the Pichu's wounds. It didn't seem to be terribly serious, and a quickly spray of a potion would be more than enough to heal the little Pokemon. He reached into his deep pockets and handed a potion to Ralph. The boy was very slow, but he managed to grab hold of the potion, and hopefully, Ralph could still hear.

"Ralph," the Ranger instructed the little boy. "Spray this on Pichu's wounds. It should take ten minutes for the wounds to fully disappear. But listen closely. You've got to go back to the village, and go home. Don't go after me. It's going to be dangerous from here, and I can't risk you two getting hurt."

"But what about Ar-"

"Arley will be all right," Ben spoke quietly. "If I find him, I'll tell him to go back, too. But please, for your own safety."

Ralph wanted to resist, but he gave a quick nod and turned round to pick Pichu up before running off in the other direction. Satisfied, Ben turned around to enter the cavern. His lips curved into a small smile, from partly excitement and uneasiness of what lay before him.

* * *

><p>Ralph continued to run his course through Teakwood Forest, Pichu in his arms. He wasn't even aware how scared he was that he found himself right at the main gate to the village before he knew it. Ralph then wondered why he couldn't use this speed whenever he had racing games with his friends.<p>

"Here, Pichu," he said quickly and laid the yellow Pokemon down on the ground. He uncapped the potion that Ben had given him so generously, and began spraying the healing liquid on Pichu's wounds. Slowly, the black and blue bruises began to return to its original pale yellow color, and Pichu was stirring awake. It opened its large black eyes, surveying its surroundings. Ralph tried to pet it, but somehow, he could feel electricity running through his fingers whenever he did.

"You okay, Pichu?" Ralph asked. He was sure this was a Pichu from Dolce Island, specifically this one. He has seen the Ukulele Pichu for himself the many times he and his father came to visit the island. Now that the news that those UFO men had gone to Dolce Island and taken all the Pokemon was spreading like wildfire, he had begun to worry about the Pokemon, and this survivor here.

"Pichu..." Ralph wanted to speak, but the little yellow mouse bolted away from him, and began running in the direction of Teakwood Forest again. Ralph, just as alarmed, got up onto his feet and began chasing after the yellow Pokemon, not realizing that he was not following Ben's orders and he was heading back for Rasp Cavern again.

* * *

><p>NOTES:<p>

[1] Well, considering the real fact, no normal person would really survive that fall.

[2] Yay! Trauma for Pokemon, too! My version of Pinchers probably will make the ones in the game look tame.

[3] Supposedly a POV for Ukulele Pichu. I really made the Pichu sound like it is a really special Pichu (so much it has royal status among the Pokemon... dunno), and I kept it this way to leave something to work if I need to. Otherwise it's just an angsty Pichu whose family lived on the island for generations.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** _Finally getting to the story as it should be. Yes, it is based on the third game of Pokemon Rangers, but, of course with some twist (because it wouldn't be interesting if I stuck to the storyline). Still writing this entire chapter in a beach house, of all places._


	8. The Lightning Prince

**Tracks of Light**

**Chapter 08 – The Lightning Prince**

* * *

><p>Ben walked around a Pincher falling to his knees, knocked out by surprise. He had to be discreet as possible. At the moment, the Pinchers don't even know about the call for backup from the Union, and so they were very liberal about the fact that only one Ranger was based here in Oblivia. This was the best situation possible, if they were open about their activities. That way, Ben could learn more about them. Even if he couldn't catch them here and end this, whatever he will learn will be useful when he meets up with the other Rangers. The boy looked back at the trail of fallen bodies slumped against the wall behind him. He wished someone would invent an invisibility cloak, otherwise he'll have to keep doing this. Leaving a trail of unconscious people wouldn't bode well if their superiors came in to check.<p>

He reached into the Pincher's pockets and took the security pass for himself. His teacher and Basil would want to see it later we this was done. He continued walking, and then noticed that there was another way into the cave, but for some reason, there were little to no Pinchers standing around guard there. Funny, Ben thought, why hadn't they known about that entrance before? The Ranger heard a loud struggle on the path ahead, and he turned on his heel to the direction of the noise.

Ben came just in time to see a Pincher slumping against the cavern walls, only half awake. A burly man in green with stringy gray hair peeking from under his green cap was dusting his calloused hands, his back turned towards Ben. Ben wondered if this guy was an ally or not, because he was wearing green. Only until then when the man turned around to look at him did Ben realize that this guy was very old. Ben was sure that the man was suspecting with his very ardent gaze that as soon as he summoned the courage to speak, he was interrupted by a cry of a Pokemon, and a flash of yellow by his feet.

"Pichu!" He could hear Ralph's voice returning, and he turned around, startled. He glanced back at the old brawny man, who grimaced at the sight of the child. Ralph worriedly tried to catch the yellow mouse, but it was stopped immediately by just one step by the old man. He gazed disapprovingly at the Pichu before turning to Ralph.

"I've told you not to come in here!" he bellowed harshly, making both Ben and Ralph wince. Ralph, however, recovered quickly from it, and was much rather relieved.

"Arley! You're okay!"

"It's too dangerous!" Arley continued to chide the boy until his gaze fell upon the sole Ranger there. "And what's this... Based on how you look, I'll bet you're a Pokemon Ranger."

"You didn't come back, and I was really, really worried!" Ralph continued to explain his case. "This Ranger has come to Oblivia, so I asked for help to look for you together."

Arley really looked the type to get angry, until his expression softened. "I see. Sorry to get angry with you. But, I'm okay. Being a lumber jack has made me very strong."

"Even though you're pretty old..." Ralph muttered to himself. Ben could see that he was wasting his time standing here, so he turned to Arley. He was more than annoyed that Ralph and Pichu had come back, but now was not the time to get angry at them.

"Now that I'm here," Ben said. "I think you can leave the situation to me. I suggest that you return back to the village for your own safety. That includes Ralph and the Pichu."

"I understand," Arley agreed. "Although you should know this, since it's pretty important and you aren't from here. I came here because I wanted to see what these guys are up to. They seem to need something from the Monument deep in this cave. It looks like they're investigating the Monument while a rather powerful Pokemon is lured away. It doesn't look like they intend to harm the villagers right now."

"Thanks."

"Ah!"

Ralph yelped when Pichu was giving off sparks and it ran around Arley off to the other end of the cave that Ben hadn't gone to.

"Hey!" the boy cried. "Wait! Pichu!"

Arley was quick enough to catch the boy and hoisted him off the ground.

"Come on, Ralph," Arley wrestled against the boy's flailing arms. "Gotta get you someplace safe."

"I'll go after the Pichu," Ben assured Ralph. "Don't worry."

Ben then spun on his heel and broke into a run after the Pichu, and in the distant he could hear loud booms of electric discharge in the cave. This only pushed the Ranger to run faster, until he skidded to a halt right by a chamber that was much better lit than the rest of the cave. The Pichu seemed to have stopped attacking everything in sight, and the Pinchers were standing, almost victorious. Ben kept a low profile and hid behind the large boulders. From what he could assess, the Pinchers had already subdued the Pichu, and most notably, the little mouse no longer had its blue little guitar… or was it a ukulele? His question was answered when he saw the poor thing cowering in fright and a pile of splintered blue wood at the Pincher's feet.

"Awwww," One of the still conscious Pinchers cooed at the distraught Pokemon while addressing her companion. "Broke its ukulele, huh? You are quite the villain."

"How do you like them pineapples?" The other puffed. "Arrogant little Pokemon. Trying to get a piece of me. No good will come of capturing you… Stop looking at me! Get out of here!"

"We could just Pinch the thing," another suggested. "We've got plenty of time, now that we've got the Emblem."

"Well, priorities first," the first Pincher shrugged. "If we're just gonna sit here, and do nothing until we get the call from boss, might as well have some fun."

The Pinchers agreed, and they turned on their mysterious gauntlets, while the Pichu was frozen in fear, realizing that it had failed once again, and that it was really going to meet its demise at the hands of these Pinchers, when the same process happened again.

There was a sudden drop in temperature in the cave, so much that the Pinchers jumped in fright at the change. Several were rubbing their bare arms to ease their goosebumps. The Pichu shivered, wondering what in the world could cause the atmospheric change.

Suddenly, Pinchers were falling left and right. None of them had the ability to breath before they were struck down, and in a blur, Ben was standing right in front of the Pichu, in the same exact manner as it had been before.

"It can't be!"

"A Pokemon Ranger?"

"What were those guards doing anyway?"

The frightened Pinchers were slowly backing away from the Ranger and Pokemon, and pointing at the intruder.

Ben glanced down at his tonfas, and his vision briefly turned red at the sight of blood on the steel rods.

"Crap," He hissed to himself, and stopped right after he backhanded a Pincher from behind. He turned around warily, assessing the damage he had done. He must have taken them down in one hit, while the others were cowering away, their eyes bulging.

"Oh, no! You're that person!" One of the Pinchers shrieked. "You're that mysterious hitman from Vongola! The one with the creepy eyes!"

"To think that the Vongola hired a little boy to do their bidding! What the hell do you want here? Was Orre too much for you? [1]"

"Creepy eyes?" Ben muttered. Last time he checked, he wasn't particularly scary (his height was much help), and he heard about the Vongola from other Rangers. He was absolutely sure there was no way he could be associated with the mafia. Also, he had never been to Orre…

"This is interesting," one of the only Pinchers who didn't step away twitched at the mouth, and he stepped forward, brandishing a blunt object. "I was hoping for some fight on this mission."

Ben glanced back at Pichu. It seemed all right, other than its broken Ukulele. Hopefully, it could handle itself with its already powerful and unstable discharges. He looked back at the Pinchers who were willing to fight, and merely waited for the first strike.

"Cranidos! Give him a taste of headbutt!"

Ben's hair stood on his back, and he spun around, metal connect with cold hard rock. The struggle came to a standstill, both sides with feet planted on the ground, until Ben jumped forward, the Cranidos staggering forward into an unsuspecting Pincher. He delivered a blow to the nearest Pincher's side, which was predictably blocked, until Ben brought his other arm down hard on the Gauntlet on the Pincher's wrist.

The lights went out on the machine, and all around the cave, Pokemon were springing out of nowhere, landing on the ground with a simultaneous thump. The Pinchers were frightened at the sight, realizing that they could lose their only weapons in a second. Now was the good time to leave.

"There wasn't any real reason to fight!" One of them shouted. "We've already got what we wanted."

The man nearby Ben gasped at how defenseless he was, and he fled quickly, complying with his friends suggestion.

"We have the emblem!" One of them shouted before running off, carrying a fallen Pincher on his back. Ben was confused. Emblem? Ben wasn't sure if Murph ever said anything about emblems. Surely, it must be something exclusive to Oblivia that Murph didn't know about.

He put it aside and worked his way around the frolicking Pokemon, and he entered another passage in the cave that seemingly led towards Teakwood Forest. He was gaining on them, until a large shadow passed by them, and the Pinchers froze in fear.

A large yellow tiger with white-lightning stripes was standing right at the exit, its large teeth bared at the Pinchers. The wind outside was blowing at its purple like cape, and an excited blue tail whipped back and forth, though that didn't really reflect the Pokemon's real feelings. Ben couldn't believe for himself, but he was staring at Raikou right in the face.

"Those guards!" One of the Pinchers hissed. "They supposed to be luring Raikou away from here!"

The most apt of the Pinchers acted quickly, and threw something at the ground, and a large cloud of dark smoke dispersed everywhere. Ben shielded his eyes from the dust that was flying at his face. Soon after, he looked up at the exit again, and the Raikou and Pinchers were nowhere to be seen. He ran outside to see if they had escaped through that direction, but all he could see was trees and other mundane Pokemon.

"Ben!" A child's voice called from behind, and the Ranger saw Ralph, followed by Arley, who seemed to have no trouble running after the boy, despite his age.

"Wasn't that the legendary Raikou just now?" The boy was gushing at the Ranger, pointing at the cave exit. "I can't believe we met Raikou! That was really lucky!"

"You saw it?" Ben asked. "Where did it go?"

"I don't know, though" Ralph shrugged. "All I saw was a large cloud of smoke, and those UFOs were going away. You were the only one there when the smoke cleared."

"We lost them, then," Ben mused, and he gave a fleeting glance at the cave entrance. "I'll have to assess the damage in there, and whoever is left in there. I'm sure that those Pinchers were unable to carry everyone back home."

"Whoever?" Arley raised a doubtful eyebrow. "You mean you managed to knock them out cold?"

"More or less," Ben said absentmindedly as he entered back into the cave. They returned to the chamber to see that some of the released Pokemon still seemed to be confused to their location. No Pincher was left to be seen, and Ben could only assume that those guys were really strong enough to carry their friends back. Ralph was suddenly in hysterics.

"Pichu!" He screamed, and he hurriedly ran to the little yellow mouse's side and was comforting it while Arley and Ben looked at the rest of the cave. At the end of the chamber, they came across a slab of ruins embedded in a rock with a large hole in it.

"Those disrespectful simpletons," he muttered disapprovingly. "I thought they were only investigating the Monument."

Ben looked at the old man, "What was written on the Monument, anyway? Is it something important?"

"I can't read it," the lumberjack shrugged. "Because it was written in letters from long ago, but I've heard something about Raikou written on it."

"Do you think the writing has something to do with the story 'The Heroes of Oblivia'?" Ralph approached them, cradling the Pichu.

"Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't," Arley shook his head. "That's not something I would know."

"But I'm sure it does!" the little boy said indignantly. "I heard about that legend from Booker."

"Legend?" Ben was most curious as to what this was, since Murph didn't tell him about the ancient myths of this region, either.

"Well, why don't we head back to Cocona Village?" Arley suggested, skipping the topic entirely. "Pichu is injured, and you have someone to see, Ben, so we shouldn't stay here any longer."

* * *

><p>"It's pretty humid," Ben noted. He hadn't had much time to really think about that, since there were more important matters. His skin was getting a little sticky.<p>

"Of course," Arley muttered. "It's Oblivia, after all."

The Ranger merely shrugged. He's never been to tropical places before. He looked at Ralph, who seemed to be carrying Pichu, and the broken guitar fragments.

"Hey, Ralph?"

"Hm?"

"You mind if I hold Pichu? I think you're struggling to hold both of them."

Ralph seemed slightly reluctant, but he paused to let Ben take the little yellow mouse into his hands. The poor Pokemon was already burying its face into his vest, mourning very quietly. Ben frowned, already feeling sympathetic for the Pichu, even though they've only met for a bit. But Pichu were supposed to be happy cheerful little Pokemon. This type of depression wouldn't be good for its health.

"Hey, little guy," He tried to talk to it. "Cheer up a bit."

The Pichu must have heard him, because it looked up curious at him. Its eyes were still trembling, not as strongly as before, but still visible. Just as I thought, Ben thought to himself, it must have been crying.

"You don't have to cry anymore," Ben continued to comfort the little Pokemon. "You're friends are still alive most likely. We'll just have to find them."

"Pi… Chu?"

He stroked the little mouse's ears, "I'm here to help you, so you shouldn't worry too much."

"Pichu?"

"Yeah," Ben smiled. "We'll find them, and everything will be all right, right?"

"Pichu…" The little Pokemon still seemed downtrodden, but its ears were upright, and the mouse was forming a small smile, as if some sense of hope was coming back.

"That's the spirit," Ben chuckled. "As long as you're still calm in the face of danger, everything will be all right."

"Pichu!"

The little Pokemon suddenly became a big bundle of energy and it was excitedly pawing playfully at his chest, in accord with his words. Ralph was amazed at the Pichu's sudden change in mood, and Arley was most intrigued.

"Wow," the lumberjack noted. "You're pretty good with Pokemon."

"Well, I'm a Ranger, after all," Ben replied flatly, echoing the other's earlier remarks.

* * *

><p>"We're almost back to the village!" Ralph pointed at the visible roofs of the outermost buildings of the town. They hastened further in their steps, cantering through the ruins as fast as they could.<p>

At the main square, there was a large crowd of people gathered round. Ben approached the crowd closely, and noticed that two people were emerging from the fray. Both were elderly men, one in overalls, and the other with a white coat, most similar to that of Professor Hastings on a good day. What Ben could take most from the man in the coat was the way his hair was shaped strangely.

"Rub this medicine on your wounds, and you will heal soon," the man in white presented a small brown package, which Ben suspected to be the aforementioned medicine. "Please take care of yourself."

" Thank you, Dr. Edward," The senior with suspenders grinned toothily. "Having you here is a huge help to us."

"The pleasure's all mine."

"Dr. Edward!" Arley bellowed from behind Ben, joining in on the group, with Ralph following closely. "How have you been?"

The doctor noticed the lumberjack and smiled.

"Why hello there, Arley," He said. "You're looking as muscular as ever. I'm impressed you keep training daily at your age."

His eyes fell upon Ben, who slightly shivered under his scrutiny. Pichu merely looked up at the old man with indifference.

"By the way," Edward looked back at his friend. "Who is this young person with you?"

"This is Ben," Arley introduced the boy. "A Pokemon Ranger."

"U-um," Ben stuttered. "Nice to meet you."

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Ben." Edward shook hands with the Ranger's free arm. "My name is Edward. I take care of sick and injured all over Oblivia."

"I can see that," Ben smiled back, noting how cold the other's hands were.

Arley noted the broken fruit cart nearby the center of the square. "Is someone here not feeling well?"

"I believe it was this man," Ralph pointed at the senior who received medicine.

"Yes," The man then began to break into babbling like an overly excited fangirl. "But I can hardly believe it, even though I saw it with my own eyes!"

"Oh?" Edward sounded eager, but he prodded gently.

"The great Raikou was charging through the village!" The man shouted. "At the last second, I swiftly dodged Raikou's charge, but I got this scrape."

An old woman stepped in and playfully slapped the senior on the arm.

"Stop spinnin' lies, you," She snapped at him and looked at the rest of the group. "He was so surprised by Raikou's charge his legs gave out. He only fell. More importantly, dear, when you saw the great Raikou, was the Hero of Oblivia riding it?"

"Come now, woman," the old man shot back. "Does anyone take that old legend seriously?"

Another man stood up and tried to intervene, "Now, now, you two. No need to argue. I'm just happy I had a chance to see the great Raikou."

"Raikou…" Ben said absentmindedly.

"Well, it's a legend around here," Ralph added. "There's a song that goes with it. It's about Raikou being able to jump high across an entire valley, and it rode around Oblivia with the ancient Hero on its back!"

"Hero…" Ben muttered.

"Sorry to interrupt the fun, but..." Arley spoke up, and directed his gaze on the doctor. "I need to talk wih Dr. Edward. Feats of strength are my strong point, bu my back has been hurt recently. Could you take a look at it?"

Edward merely frowned, before smiling again. "That's troubling. Okay, I'll examine you."

Arley gave Ben one last look, "Thanks for your help, Pokemon Ranger."

The two of them retreated to one of the buildings in the square, and Ben looked at Ralph, who looked genuinely distressed about Arley.

"You still worried about him?" Ben flat out asked him, and the boy merely nodded.

"He's really strong, but he's way older than you would think," He then recoiled at the mention of something. "Oh, but we shouldn't say it to his face… his age, I mean."

Ben looked at Pichu, who was still vigilantly looking at the direction where Edward and Arley had walked away, and he looked at Ralph, who was still clutching the broken ukulele.

"Well, Ralph," He got the two's attention. "Why don't we go to Booker's house to fix this Pichu's ukulele. I also have to meet up with someone there. Hopefully he won't chew me out for this…"

* * *

><p>As soon as Ralph let the door open, Pichu pounced off of Ben and bolted straight towards Booker, who was already standing near the door. The little mouse squeaked and cried pointing furiously at the broken guitar in Ralph's hands. Nick was suddenly terrified by the commotion and dove behind a table, while Booker was nodding to the demanding Pichu.<p>

"All right, all right, all right already," He laughed. "I've got it, so just calm down a little bit."

He looked up and saw the two other newcomers, and ran towards them.

"Oh, Ben!" He gave the boy a tight hug. "I've been so worried about you. There were reports of a wild Pokemon the square, and then those UFOs were everywhere a minute ago!"

"Um, those are Pinchers," Ben corrected the man, but Ralph stepped in between them.

"Booker! They broke Pichu's ukulele!"

The shipbuilder bent down and tried to examine the splintered blue wood, "I can see that. Pichu's been asking me to fix it."

Ralph didn't seem very convinced. "You can fix it, can't you?"

"I'd love to fix it right away," Booker scratched the back of his head. "But you need material with good straight grain to fix that ukulele. I kept a stash of it on Dolce Island in a tricky hiding place."

"Um, Master," Nick slowly rose from his hiding spot. "You brought it back here… last week."

Everyone turned to the green haired boy, who was already holding mentioned pack of wood.

"I did?" Booker gawked. "Oh, my bad! Well, I guess I'm forgetful… You, boy, should be occupied on helpin' me build boats... But I'll leave it to you, Nick."

"Me?" Nick jumped. "for what?"

"Fixing Pichu's ukulele," Booker pointed at the yellow mouse. "I think you can handle it."

"Really?" the boy's face brightened considerably, and Booker smiled before taking the ukulele off of Ralph's hands and thrust it to Nick.

"Well, don't stand there befuddled," He snapped. "To the workshop!"

"R-right!"

"I wanna watch!" Ralph cried as he ran after them, leaving Pichu and Ben alone. Pichu seemed be happy for now, thank goodness. Hopefully, it wouldn't go out of control like last time…

A Buizel suddenly came rushing into the room, circling around Ben's legs playfully. The Pichu frowned in discontent at the Buizel, and sparks flew out of its cheeks, challenging the bigger otter. Buizel stopped and bounded off, dancing around the feet of another certain Ranger.

Most certainly, Keith was not in uniform (it was his vacation after all), and he had been standing at the end of the room entirely unnoticed, as expected of his teacher's abilities.

"I see you've made it, kid," was all he said, and Ben didn't say a word, and merely pointed out to the door, which Keith understood without much hesitation. The redhead got off his seat at the counter and made his way to the front door. Nick was fiddling with knife while Booker was snapping at how finicky the little boy was, until he noticed the Rangers at the door.

"Oh, Keith, Ben," He called after them. "You're not stayin'? Thought Basil would come and pick you up."

"We're going back to Cavern," Ben explained. "I want to check the place before I go. Thanks for all the help."

The two Rangers and the Buizel slipped out the door, and the workshop seemed rather quiet, with Nick concentrating, and Pichu just standing by the door, unmoving. Booker frowned at how lonely the Pichu seemed, having lost its friends to the Pincher raid on Dolce. It seemed to be much happier with Ben around…

He noticed that the little mouse was inching towards the door, hoping to slip away quickly, and Booker called after it, too.

"Pichu, you're going, too?"

Pichu turned around and nodded, its cheeks sprarkling with electricity.

"Pichu!"

Booker merely chuckled.

"All right then, but don't do anything to hold those boys back."

The little mouse was gone in a flash.

* * *

><p>"Pichu!"<p>

The two Rangers turned around and saw a familiar yellow Pokemon running after them. Keith raised an eyebrow as the Pichu scrambled in Ben's direction, and attempted to paw at his shoes, asking to be picked up on his shoulder. Ben sputtered back at Keith, trying to explain to his teacher about the entire thing, until he saw a small smile on his teacher's face.

"It's taking a liking to you, then?" He merely continued on his way out of Cocona Village to Teakwood Forest, with his own partner following suit. Ben looked down at Pichu, wondering what to do with it. Did it want to follow him? Like… an actual partner?

No, Ben shook his head, trying to deny that thought. He was just a Pokemon magnet. The last time, he had a Croagunk following him after he rescued it, and he was thoroughly convinced that it would really be his partner, but it left a week after they had finished finding its friends. He shouldn't forget to mention the time before when he met a Luxio, but it didn't seem that much interested in him for long, only because there really wasn't much between them other than that mission that involved the supposed Luxio. There were other situations that involved Ben and Pokemon sharing close bonds, but never strong enough to be truly partners. He was sure this was the same pattern.

"You're coming, too?" He looked at the little mouse, and Pichu nodded and jumped at him, forcing him to catch the little thing before it could fall to the ground again. He stared at the Pokemon with some distrust, but then let it sit on his shoulder as they wheeled after his teacher and the man's Buizel. They quickly navigated through the jungle while Ben recapped his story to his teacher.

The Rangers and Pokemon reached the cavern starting from the place where Ben had left the place, the same spot where he had encountered Raikou. Keith knelt down to the dirt and tried to get a bit of it onto his fingers, while Buizel diligently sniffed the ground around it. Ben merely stood there, not really sure what to do himself, and Pichu jumped off to the ground to join Buizel, though the mouse's efforts weren't as helpful.

"There's some hints of strong discharge right here," Keith concluded. "No other Pokemon would be able to give off such strength like a legendary."

The redhead looked at his student.

"Now, where did you find the Pinchers?"

"Oh, down this tunnel," Ben pointed at the way into the cavern, and Keith stalked in as soon as he pointed to it. Ben couldn't help but feel that his teacher was suddenly more… amiable than usual. He was not grumpy or demanding of him, and he was much calmer than he'd usually be back at the Union. Perhaps this mission was really serious?

"There's the place that's you said the Pinchers were interested in," Keith noted, turning his head towards the slab of stone that was littered in ancient script neither of them could read. They gathered at the slab, and looked at it, before looking at the hole that should have been filled up.

"They took some part of the stone," Ben said. "They called it an Emblem…"

"Emblem?" Keith looked up at the Ranger. "Well, I obviously don't know much about it, but if its something with ancient script, I just happened to meet the only Ranger based here. His wife is archaeologist. She's worked with my brother, apparently."

"Oh, that's great!" Ben beamed. "So we'll just take a picture of this and give it to her?"

"Of course," Keith stood up. "But it's going to take a while."

They left the cave shortly after, and returned to the village, only to see a distraught man running straight at them.

"Rangers!" He called to them. "You're rangers, right? If you are, I have something to show you!"

The two exchanged glances and decided to follow after the man, who led them directly into the prominent remains of the ruins. They stopped at a tall stone shrine, and the man was right, it was something they needed to see.

The stone inside the shrine was glowing ominously, flickering on and off as if it were an engine starting up.

"Now I've seen everything..." The man spoke to himself. "The stone of time is glowing."

"What is that?" Ben asked. "I've never seen anything like it!"

"I honestly don't know," the man shrugged. "This suddenly started glowing a while ago. What could be causing it?"

"If my suspicions are correct," Keith stared blinkingly at it, as if he could recognize what this glow meant. "A Pokemon must be coming this way…"

As soon as he finished, the stone switched a very strong steady pulse of light, and something animated was emerging from the stone. Ben, who was closest, shielded his eyes from the light, but his feet were sliding towards the shrine. This wasn't his will, and he tried to pick his feet up to get away, but it was futile. Pichu noticed what was happening to Ben first, and began crying and screeching at everyone else to help him. Keith responded and tried to lunge after his student, but the area flashed white, and Ben was gone.

* * *

><p>"<em>Oi! Anyone!"<em>

_Ben was running across a really bright and blinding path. He could definitely feel the ground, be he couldn't see anything except white. He continued to run in the same direction, hoping he'd run into something, but this seemed pretty hopeless._

_A child's giggling reached his ears and he stopped, entranced by the sound. It really sounded like a child laughing at his current predicament, and he didn't like this one bit. But the voice really sounded inhuman… a Pokemon?_

_Another unwanted of gravity yanked him forward, and he was suddenly face planted into the wet smell of grass and jungle leaves. He got up weakly, trying to gain balance as he got up to his feet, but he still couldn't see. All he could do was listen to the soft murmurs of people around him, and all activity seemed to stop, other than talking._

_He wiped some dirt off his face, and the Ranger opened his eyes to an entirely exotic place. Short and stubby huts were lined up all around him, and the roads were entirely cobblestone. The people were wearing vivid, earthy tones, mostly cloaks and some embellishments._

"_Bii!"_

_Ben staggered back as he went face to face with a green Pokemon. It had pretty big eyes and a big head, but it was pretty small…_

"_Hey, Celebi!" A boy's voice called. "Are you making mischief again?"_

"_Celebi…?" Ben stammered, and realized what has happened. Legendary Pokemon. Time traveling. Past… This can't be good._

_A boy ran towards him, his blue armor plating bouncing off his shoulders, and his cloak trailing after him as he came. He was wearing a small headdress with feathers and metal. The boy looked at Ben, and then to Celebi._

" _Who is this person?" He raised an eyebrow. "You look... very interesting. I've never seen clothes like that before."_

_Ben could have sworn that the language barrier was nonexistent. Was that Celebi's doing, too?_

"_I think it's kinda obvious," the Ranger retorted flatly. "Celebi must have brought me hear by time travel."_

"_Wait..." the native boy paused." Did you... Come from another time? I've heard of Celebi's Time Travel... But I never thought it was true… Well, Ms. Katrina's one of those people…"_

"_Katrina…?" Ben muttered, confused to the little boy's ramblings, but the boy spontaneously pointed an accusing finger at Celebi._

"_Celebi, why did you do that?" He demanded. "You need to take his person back to the right time!... This isn't Ms. Katrina!"_

"_Bii…" The Celebi groaned in exasperation, having its fun spoiled. The little Pokemon was about to perform the time travel before the young stranger held up a hand to stop it for a while. Ben wondered if this Celebi was some sort of partner to the boy (lucky guy he is)._

"_Hold on. Can you wait for a while? My name is Ravio."_

"_Okay," Ben nodded. "So I'm Ben. I'd like to ask, where is this place?"_

"_This is place is Cocona Plaza," Ravio answered. "It's a pretty great place, and the markets are always crowded…"_

_The boy hesitated, but he shook his head. "I'd ask about what's going on in the future, but I shouldn't. It scares me to think of knowing the future... All I can do is hope is that you have a safe journey back to your own time."_

"_Oh, well…" Ben wasn't sure how to conclude this rather awkward conversation. "Thanks…"_

_Celebi then encased him in a sphere of white, and then he disappeared from the plaza._

* * *

><p>"Ben! Ben!"<p>

The Ranger opened his eyes slowly and saw a group of worried people gather around him. The sky was still brilliant blue, so this was still noontime… why was he sleeping on the rock…?

"Ben!" Keith was shouting at him. "You all right?"

"Y-Yeah…." Ben took the redhead's head, and he got up to his feet. Pichu sprang to his arms, and began cuddling into his chest. He was slightly discomforted by the overwhelming affection, but he eventually paid little heed to it.

"You okay, kid?" Keith didn't seem too convinced. "You look like you've been through something weird."

"No, really," Ben shrugged off his teacher's hands. "I'm okay. I just time travelled."

Ben explained the situation to Keith, who listened very carefully. When he was done, they were left scrutinizing the stone shrine, with little leads on the case. Keith then decided that they head back to Basil's place.

"There's no point staying if we can't find anything else about it," he said.

"But, Keith," Ben asked. "Can we stop by Booker's shop for a moment? I think I might need to pick something up for Pichu."

"Oh, okay," the redhead shrugged. "I'll just wait for you at the route then."

"Thank you," Ben bowed before jogging off to the shipbuilder's workshop, and Keith casually walked, with Buizel prancing around his feet. He stopped at the end of the temple ruins, feeling cold chills down his spine. He spun around quickly, convinced that he saw something moving behind him, but the area was still. Thinking that he didn't see anything after all, he walked away, his mind preoccupied on the Pinchers.

* * *

><p>FOOTNOTES:<p>

[1] Excuse my very weird ramblings and theories, I just noticed that Pinchers most literally sounds like Poachers… makes sense a bit now that I tried to pass the members of the Pinchers off as Pokemon Poachers from Orre. Oh, Also realized that if all the Poachers were in Orre, all the Pokemon would be caught there already. So, probably a very slim chance of Pokemon use at all by the general population of Orre, and what do they use for violence? Weapons. Thus, the mafia is created, and all these gangs overtaken Orre. Thus, the region of Orre has become a wretched hive.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **_These chapters will probably roll in much faster because I'm actually using real text from the game, so much less time to think out the setting and dialogue._


	9. The Matchstick Revisited

**Tracks of Light**

**Chapter 09 – The Matchstick Revisited**

* * *

><p>Surprisingly, the ukulele was fixed in less than a few hours. Booker and Nick sure worked quickly when they both did the job together. Needless to say, the Pichu was very enthusiastic about its newly reborn instrument, and began plucking at the strings, creating not necessarily a song, but a small barrage of notes. The little bundle of energy was just jumping around the shipbuilder's workshop, ecstatic just as much as everyone else.<p>

"Well, he looks happy," Keith noted blandly.

"It wasn't that bad," Booker laughed. "Lil' Nick here did most of the work. The grains a bit off in some places, but it works just fine. When you become a pro, you don't mistakes like that."

"You don't have to say that," Nick was embarrassed. "It… was difficult."

"At last you tried," Ben smiled. "I'm sure it's as good as new, the new ukulele."

They continued to watch Pichu and the other Pokemon around dance in the room, playing inexplicable tunes while the others swayed to the strange song. Ben wasn't sure if it was supposed to be calming his nerves and emptying his mind, but he could only think of white as he listened to Pichu play. He wondered what would really happen when the Pichu could learn actual songs…

"Well, Ben," Keith placed a hand on his shoulder. "We're going to have to see Basil now. You all set to go?"

"Yeah."

The two Rangers made their way for the door, until a cry of a Pokemon caused them to turn around. Right in front of Ben was the same Pichu with the ukulele. Its eyes were becoming that sort of large irresistible ones, and its fingers plucked at the lowest string of its ukulele. The poor thing.

"Pichu," Booker was alarmed. "You want to go with Ben?"

"Pichu!"

"Well," Ben mulled over the thought of it. "I guess you can, since you're still looking for your friends from Dolce Island."

The little yellow mouse was excitedly pounced at him, and Ben laughed at the little Pokemon as it hurriedly climbed onto his shoulder, trying to emulate the same position as Buizel was on Keith's shoulder. The two Rangers chuckled at the Pichu, and they were soon on their way.

The rest of the trip on the bare road was left unmentioned, as they really had nothing else to talk about. That is, until Keith had some alert message from his Styler. The redhead looked at his little gauntlet curiously, wondering who would be calling him at this hour.

"Hello?"

"Oh, Keith!" Basil's face lit up on the screen. "Bad news! Get over here already!"

"Right. Coming right away."

"What happened?" Ben asked as the redhead put away his Styler. The two then broke into a run, their partners hanging on.

"Don't know. We'll just have to find out when we get there."

* * *

><p>"Ahahaha…" Basil laughed nervously as Keith and Ben assessed the smoking damage. "I'm sorry about that… Conan took all the Pokemon we have in the house, so…"<p>

"Well," Keith's mouth twitched, not sure if he should be irritated or relieved. "At last you lost one pan and an oven."

"But it was my favorite oven…"

"Um," Ben looked between the two as they stood in the kitchen. "I'm not sure if that was a real worthwhile time to call us for an emergency. There are better ways to deal with a little fire in the kitchen."

"I'm sorry," Basil smiled. "I would have taken care of it myself, if I had Piplup with me…"

"Well, forget that," Keith pointed at the ruined kitchen appliance. "What's the situation with Rand? I've been away the morning."

"Well, a lot, actually," Basil cheerfully reported. "Conan and Leanne have finished moving most essential things from their house. Nema should be here soon. But something came up in the Wireless Tower with Rand, so Leanne and Conan are on their way to the Tower."

"Okay," Ben raised an eyebrow. "So, are we needed anywhere?"

"Not really," Keith shrugged. "Besides, you just got here, and you got into some trouble already. I think you should get some rest. I'll go and see what's going on at the Tower."

"Your things already arrived," Basil smiled. "So have Summer's… where is she?"

Ben felt slightly uneasy. The three of them, and Kellyn, were close in their final years at the Academy. Summer and Ben were the strongest of the four of them...

"Our suspicions were correct," Keith stepped in. "The two were attacked by Pinchers. Summer was most likely taken hostage, if those guys are merciful. They attempted to kill Ben, though."

"I see," Basil nodded grimly. "Well, I hope we'll find Summer. But you have to tell me what's happened when you got here to Oblivia. I'm sure you're in a hurry, Keith."

"Right," the redhead turned on his heel, Buizel following behind him closely. When the door closed, Ben and Basil exchanged glances and then launched into a hug. The two of them engaged in animated conversation quickly about how things have been. Ben then began to start telling Basil what had happened in the recent few hours he had been here in Oblivia. Basil was most concerned about his recent encounter with a Celebi.

"Celebi?" Basil raised an eyebrow, and Ben nodded.

"What's wrong?"

"Just a history fact I remembered," Basil smiled, shaking off his uneasiness. "When you go through Teakwood Forest, there are several temples. These temples were built to honor Arceus [*], you know, that Pokemon."

"Oh," Ben realized flatly. "They worshipped that Pokemon here?"

"Well, yeah, from what I learned from the local archaeology buffs who come by every year in the summer," Basil shrugged. "All those temples are protected by friendship between Pokemon and the temple oracles. Sometimes, Celebi appears at these temples, and causes mischief. There has been reports of Celebi playing around with things like misplacing ruins or stealing something from the town, but it's never tried to transport a person back in time."

"You really know a lot about this," Ben replied, bemused by his friend's usual brilliance. "So I'm special?"

"I don't think so," Basil shot the idea down. "There's probably something going on that prompted it to take you back, and I think it has to do with the current situation in Oblivia, with all these poachers roaming about."

"That would be hard to handle," Ben laughed. "I'm surprised you're part of this, too. You're not really part of the Union, though…"

"Well, I'm only helping as myself, not the president of some tech company," Basil grinned. "Conan is doing the same. We are good friends with the only Ranger here, so we always are around to help him if he needs anything."

"Oh, you mean, the only Ranger based here?"

"Of course," Basil smiled. "I don't think you've met him yet. His name's Rand Saturday. He has a wonderful family. I believe his daughter is supposed to arrive here for the while. Apparently, we're all worried about the Pinchers, and Rand believed they sent him a threat letter that possibly meant harming his family, so we've decided to move them to our place as quickly as possible."

"I see," Ben nodded, trying to piece together the situation.

"Well, I guess this shouldn't take long," Basil stared at the direction of the front door. "I'm sure Conan gave Nema the key before heading off…. She should be here any moment now."

Basil's voice drifted off when the glass of water on the table began to rumble, followed by the distant roar from several miles away. Ben and Basil jumped out of their seats, and rushed to the window, and soon gasped at the telltale sign of two billowing towers of smoke, one closer than the other.

"That's where Rand's house is…" Basil muttered under his breath, and he quickly rushed towards the bottom garage. Ben didn't need to ask what was going on as he followed after his old colleague, and he came to face with a large garage with a car and a motorcycle or two in the corner. Basil quickly tossed him a helmet and mounted onto one of them.

"We're going to have to take the fast way," Basil explained, and Ben merely complied, slipping his helmet on.

* * *

><p>Beneath the comfort of Basil's summer home, the clicks and clacks of furious typing echoed in the manmade cave. Surprisingly, it was well-lit, since its owner preferred not to have premature nearsightedness. Kate paused in her work, and reached for a cup of coffee, her mind preoccupied on her recent mission from Orre. It was a pretty messy one, considering that she had to really kill someone for hitting too closing to home. She tried to keep her hands as clean as possible, but those were the few exceptions.<p>

The Ex-Ranger knew that after that incident and her retreat to the underground, she would have to kill at some point of her employment by the mafia. The most impressive thing was that she kept her hitlist very small, only six or seven tallies, in five years. She had no qualms about those six or seven crosses on her record. She was a courier, not a hitman, despite what people called her. Yes, she was vicious in a fight, but no, she usually left broken bones or busted kneecaps, not deaths. She hadn't gone that far.

Suddenly, everything went pitch black, and Kate almost jumped out of her seat in fright at the sudden occurrence. What was going on? She was sure that Basil didn't cut off the power source, especially when he knew that she was still working, no less!

In a few seconds, the lights came back up again, and so did the computer, but everything was dimmer. Must be the secondary source, Kate thought as she quickly saved her recovered files. She stepped out of her chair and began walking towards the stairs.

Once the Ex-Ranger was outside, she blinked blearily at the bright afternoon. She pulled down her right sleeve and checked her scratched and slightly battered Styler. She and the others have been able to keep it running as an unregistered Styler by removing the tracking devices from the device. She hadn't used it very much on her jobs, but they proved useful when the situation came.

She browsed through a strange list of Pokemon, muttering about which one could possibly be the fastest. Then Kate froze at the sound of an unfamiliar roar, and she looked up from the top of the hill to see a quick flash of yellow weaving through the canopy of the jungle outside. One blink, and she could have missed the anomaly.

She jammed her finger at the button relentlessly in response and a disk popped out and began to whirl I the air. She set the disc into an alternate mode, and directed the disc to draw out an illuminated symbol on the floor. Once finished, the emblem glowed and a distant caw of a Skarmory came the ex-Ranger's way. Kate offhandedly jumped off the edge of the balcony towards a rather steep descent into a small valley, and as she predicted, the large bird swooped down and let her land on its back before taking off at high speed towards the Wireless Tower. [1]

* * *

><p>Nema stared disbelievingly at her own home. Flames were licking up every slab of wood in sight. The fire must have hit something combustible and created another explosion. The painted walls were becoming ashen black from the fire, and there wasn't much to say for the lack of a roof. She still couldn't believe. And she had been walking out of it a few minutes ago...<p>

Her ears were still ringing and pounding from the explosions earlier. Her eyes were stinging from the blaze and the cinders blowing into her face. The little girl's pristine lab coat was botched gray from the collecting ash. Her knees had weakened and she slid slowly to the ground, fingers trembling and struggling to clutch onto the folds of her cloak. Her Cyndaquil crawled to her side, sounding quietly as if in comfort.

"Nema!"

The scientist turned around to see two people running in her direction. She made no effort to get up onto her feet and run to them, for she was still too shocked of the sudden attack.

Ben was quickly beside the young girl and placed his hands on her shoulders, affirming his attention on her, while a Pichu stared curiously at her face, hovering nearby the recently arrived Ranger.

"Are you all right?"

"T-The house..." Nema said shakily towards the collapsed and burning building, and Ben frowned in contempt for the state of the home. He wasn't too sure about the details, but from what Basil had said, the Pinchers must have gone through with the warning.

"Looks like we did a good favor moving your things, Nema," Basil grimaced. "I didn't think that what Rand said was true."

Basil's remarks only shed horror on Nema's face.

"W-wait..." she asked. "Dad knew...?"

Ben helped the girl up to her feet and picked Pichu and Cyndaquil up together, and handed the two or them off to Basil and looked back at the burning Oblivian Ranger headquarters. He couldn't do much about putting the fire of completely, lest he find a dozen water Pokemon, but his direction turned towards another column of smoke at a distance. Basil followed his gaze and went pale as a sheet.

"Wha..." he gaped incredulously. "That's the Wireless Tower! There was a double attack?"

"Wasn't Keith going there?" Ben looked at his friend, who nodded.

"Not only that, but Conan is there, too! And Rand and his wife!"

"Dad's there?" The little scientist was alarmed, but Ben stopped her from running off.

"Whoa," the Ranger kept a firm hand on her shoulder. "Your dad would worry if you suddenly take off like that. You should stay with Basil. He'll take you back to his place and make sure that those Pinchers won't target you."

Nema glared at him and defiantly refused to go hide, but Basil stopped her spouts of anger with a single firm gaze. She fell silent and let her hands fall, agreeing with the Ranger's advice and takin Cyndaquil. Pichu leapt from Basil's arms and made a risky jump to Ben's shoulder, earning a skeptical frown from its current partner and a sigh of resignation.

"Basil," Ben looked at the other boy. "Get this girl home."

"You don't need to tell me twice," Basil nodded solemnly, and he ushered the blur haired girl from the remains of her home to the road ahead, where his motorcycle lay near the road. He and Ben were hasty to jump off the vehicle when they came close enough to Rand's home.

Ben, on the other hand, ran towards the direction of the smoke, taking the dirt path that was provided before him.

Once again, hairs rose on his back in the same way as his encounter with Pinchers in Rasp Cavern. Pichu stood up straight on his shoulder, aware of the approach of a creature of immense power. Their ears caught on to the incoming sound of sputtering engines and more notably, Pinchers. Ben made a quick move to dive behind bushes. It wouldn't do to start fighting these poachers when he still had ways to go.

Very exact to his assumptions, he saw the telltale signs of their

Raikou has been chasing the Pinchers for a while. Two of them are spotted in Curl Bay, one of their flyers broken.

As he had suspected, the Pinchers did come their way, but Ben saw a streak of yellow pass by his eyes. The sensation of overwhelming power passed by him for just a few seconds, but he was unable to move at all.

His trance was broken by the appearance of two Pinchers tumbling from the side of the jungle, their vehicles ruined and battered beyond repair. Ben had jumped out of his bush in alarm at their arrival, but they paid little notice to him and were more concerned about their broken "Z.Z. Flyers." One of them was massaging his shoulder, having taken more damage than the other.

"Are you okay?" the uninjured one helped the other up, genuinely concerned.

"The moment I thought Raikou was glaring at me, lightning suddenly struck my Z.Z. Flyer," the Pincher groaned, still trying to ease the pain in his arms. "Angering Raikou was a mistake."

Ben took a step back, his foot snapping a small twig behind him and catching the Pinchers' attention. Their expressions from fatigue slowly turned into rage.

"You again?" the female Pincher pointed accusingly at them. "You caused us some trouble in Rasp Cavern!"

Ben blinked, not sure how to respond. Really, those two didn't have any distinct features, and he could hardly remember what the Pinchers back at the cavern looked like. He could only go by their word that they've met before.

"I'm still irritated about getting a lightning bolt from Raikou," the other Pincher complained. "And I'm going to take it out on you!"

This time those Pinchers were quick. They activated the gauntlets on their wrists and out came an Eevee and Piplup. Ben was impressed that their weapons worked like a Pokeball, but he shook his head, setting aside his time to admire the technology later. He responded to their aggression with a quick and simple capture, and the two Pokemon were released from captivity, leaving looks of shock on the Pinchers' faces.

"I got hit by lightning and beaten by a Ranger," the male Pincher muttered, and he staggered in his stance, and the woman beside him reached out to hold him up. Ben didn't feel any more threats coming from them, so he ran off back to the road towards Mt. Latolato.

* * *

><p>The rest of the trip up the mountain wasn't as smooth as he thought it to be. He was sure what his teacher would leave a path of destruction with near-dead Pinchers and idle Pokemon, but what lay before him only proved that he less and less about Keith.<p>

Pinchers were heavily covering up the trail up Mt. Latolato and they were just like the two Pinchers he had left behind, quick to react and formidable with Pokemon. At this point he was in a routine of releasing the Pokemon they had and then beating them up after they couldn't throw anything more at him. Thankfully, the little Pichu on his shoulder was quite useful, as its little ukulele was softening the Pokemon's anger and captures were easier to finish.

After a laborious journey up the mountain, Ben finally found the bridge that separated the Wireless Tower to the rest of Oblivia. Pichu excitedly clung to his shoulder as they walked across the wooden planks, pointing at the tiny view of the town of Cocona Village below them. Ben chuckled, admitting that this was actually quite a breathtaking view of Oblivia's sea and sky. Summer would love this...

The Ranger hastened his feet when he heard an ongoing fight taking place up ahead. Surprisingly, he could see a ferocious blur of red and water as an army of Pokemon and Pinchers were falling to their knees. So this was his teacher at serious work, Ben thought.

Another Ranger with dark skin and hair was in the fray, round-housing a Pincher in the gut and spinning once more to finish a capture on an agitated Gligar and moved on to a Skuntank. They gave the last blow to them by the time Ben arrived, and Keith stood back as the other Ranger pulled the nearest Pincher to his eye level, ultimately frightening the poor Pincher.

"What are you trying to do to the Wireless Tower?" the man asked roughly, and the Pincher actually had the Nerve to not only defy him, but spit into his faceZ

"No one here is dense enough to answer that just because they're asked!"

Keith stared dully at the man being questioned, and noticed from the corner from his eyes that Ben had come along. One look on Ben's face could tell Keith that something must have come up on Basil's end.

"Trouble?"

"Yeah, but it looks worse over here, so..."

Ben trailed off, looking at his mentor for approval, who didn't seem at all concerned about his decision. He looked back at Rand, who had good reason to be angry. They had both been aware of the second explosion, and needless to say, Rand really wanted those Pinchers to know that he put that house together with love and care.

"If you don't want to get hurt," the man threatened in a low voice. "I recommend looking the other way. You don't want to see any messed up fingers, do you?"

"Let him go," Keith placed a hand on Rand's shoulder. "He won't talk. Might as well knock him out."

"Right."

Rand flung the man at the ground, and kept a wary eye on the pile of groaning Pinchers lying about them. Behind them, Ice and Leanne took extra care to not step on any of them.

"They'll be back some time soon," Ice looked behind him.

"Don't worry about it," Keith frowned, looking ahead to the tower above them. "The sent a majority of their forces here already. It'll be a while before they send anyone after us."

"Well, we're going to have to climb up this thing soon," Rand eyed the tall tower.

"Not without a plan, we aren't," Leanne chided and the pointed to the shack. "Come on, let's get back in there before they send more people."

All five people clambered into the little house with Ice closing the door behind everyone else. Ben followed closely behind Keith, knowing that his teacher would ask him to do something. Rand took some time before noticing that another Ranger other than himself and Keith were present.

"Oh, so this is the backup," the man beamed. "What's your name, kiddo?"

"Ben," the boy answered. "I'd like to know yours?"

"I'm Rand, the Area Ranger for the Oblivia region." The dark Ranger smiled. "Thank you very much for coming… If you weren't here… Wait. Didn't you say that there were going to be more Rangers, Keith?"

"Not really," Keith replied wryly. "Murph can't afford to send out more people, and one of the two Rangers we sent have been captured by the Pinchers."

"Captured?" Leanne gasped and gave a sympathetic glance towards Ben. "You must be very worried about your partner. I'm Leanne, by the way."

"Nice to meet you, too, Leanne," Ben returned the welcome. "Yes, I am. But I guess Summer is a well- trained Ranger. So, I think she should be fine…"

"Other than the introductions," Keith cut through impatiently. "Plans?"

Ice couldn't help but agree to the redhead's urgency. He backed away from the door and joined the group to discuss.

"This is troublesome," the blue haired man sighed. "They've just destroyed the Tower, so we're not going to be able to communicate for another two months…"

"Right," Keith took over the rest of the discussion. "So, our main objective is to take back the Tower so we can go on to fix it as quickly as possible…"

Just as Keith finished, the door burst open. Rand, Keith, and Ben all crouched into a fighting stance, waiting for whatever came at them, but unexpectedly, a large man came scurrying into the shed. He had strikingly yellow hair that stood out in all places atop his head, and he was dressed in all yellow and green. Even worse, he was giving off sparks of electricity.

"Buckhart?" Rand, keeping his distance from the electric hazard, addressed him. "Did you see anything?"

"Not that I saw..."the blonde scratched the back of his head, giving off more electricity than he wanted. "I just snuck into the Wireless Tower. There was electricity running everywhere. Then I got shocked, and it seems I'm still carrying a charge…"

His gaze fell upon both Keith and Ben, and his look of puzzlement turned into one of joy.

" The backup Rangers have arrived? Oh, I just thought of something. Would you like me to charge your Styler with my excess electricity?"

"Absolutely not," Keith snapped, pushing Ben back to stay behind him. Buizel stood in front of them, crouched and ready to pounce and attack the man. Ben, bewildered by how serious his teacher was being, took a few steps away from everything, taking refuge near Ice and Leanne. Pichu, however, seemed ready to jump across the room at Buckhart, who persisted in trying the idea out. However, Rand was able to snap some sense into him.

"St-stop it! Don't be so rash, Buckhart!"

The large blonde man stopped pestering the new Rangers and settled in the corner, knowing his current ability to electrocute the nearest person in a ten-foot radius. With the situation settled and the plan finally laid out, the three Rangers headed out, leaving Ice and Leanne behind. They entered the first set of stairs onto the first floor, a very puzzling maze of wires and sheet metal.

"I don't know what those Pinchers are doing," Rand added to the plan. "But there are unshielded wires all over the Wireless Tower. Be very careful not to get shocked like Buckhart did."

"I wonder how he survived," Ben looked at the older Ranger, who shrugged in response. Their pause was interrupted by a Gligar flying at them. Keith quickly captured it and set it free, and turned to the other two.

"Since the Pinchers are here, the Pkmn are agitated," Keith warned Ben. "They'll attack if you get too close to them. Keep your guard up."

"There are no guardrails along the path and floors of the Wireless Tower," Rand pulled Ben closer to the center of the platforms. "Be careful not to fall off."

At this point, the young Ranger was sure he was being treated as a little kid. Having one nagging teacher was enough, and he couldn't fathom having two of them.

They made their way cautiously through the first floor, before encountering two shady characters at the staircase to the next one. Both of them were staring at the staircase itself, perhaps the second floor, but no attention was laid on them.

"Raikou was climbing up the base," The Pincher turned to his companion. "What on earth is going on?"

"It probably just came around to our way thinking and has come to lend a hand…"

The two men's expressions slowly turned to dread as they noticed the three Rangers behind them.

"Shit! Rangers!"

One of them ditched the other, not wanting to stay behind to fend them off.

"I'll go warn everyone above!"

"You're not going to get one step higher than this!"

"I'll leave this to you, Ben," Keith pushed the boy forward. Ben staggered forward, dropping Pichu onto the platform by accident. The Pincher smirked at his opponent's confidence and sent out a Pichu. Ben was ready to capture it, but his partner didn't seem to move. The Pichu sent out seemed to recognize the one beside the Ranger, which irritated the Pincher.

"Enough with the "Pichu Pichu" already!" The Pincher jammed the buttons on his gauntlet. "It might be a Pichu, just like you, but it doesn't matter! Go get 'em!"

The poor thing was then thrown into an abrupt rage and was commanded to come running at Ben. His own little partner was devastated by the sudden change in behavior and took out its ukulele and began to play. Ben used his partner's assist to complete the capture, and the released Pichu took their side, leaving the Pincher with none.

"That was pathetic, Pichu!" the man snarled. "Where was the intensity I saw when I seize you at Dolce Island? I couldn't feel them at all!"

The Pincher ran up to the second floor, most likely to get more from above or to get mercilessly electrocuted by one of the uncovered wires that Rand had warned them of. Keith did nothing to go after the Pincher, and was more fixated on the two Pichu, who were greeting each other most enthusiastically with electricity attacks.

"So this is one of the Pichu that you were telling me about," Rand looked at Ben, who told him everything back at the shed. "It must've been very frustrating to be controlledi by that villain. I'm glad it were able to meet its friend again!"

Pichu glanced up at Rand and squeaked happily back at the Rangers before telling its friend to stay behind and not get into any trouble. With relations aside, the Rangers and Pokemon made their way up to the second floor. As they had thought, more Pinchers were in their way on this level. They went through the horde of opponents as they edged around the dangerous wires, and their enemies were most surprised that the Rangers were already at the end of the next staircase, and fled in fright for their own lives. Much to Rand's dismay, a majority of them paid little heed to the lack of protection on the wires on this floor and were sent to their untimely fates.

The next level was much more windy. Keith warned them to stay down a bit so they wouldn't get blown off so easily. The lack of flying Pokemon nearby didn't ease any of their comforts. The next level was just as windy, but a new miracle arose. Just as they arrived to the last set of stairs, a flash of yellow flew right past their eyes, and up the stairs. Pinchers were scattered about the last platform, confused as to what had hit them.

The three Rangers ignored the unconscious grunts as they approached the stairs. As soon as they touched the first step, Ben and Keith felt an overwhelming power emanating through their bodies, while Rand looked more fatigued than he should be. Pichu and Buizel were not that comfortable with the uncontrollable fury up ahead.

"Do we keep going?" Ben asked his teacher, who nodded firmly.

"No recklessness."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

><p>Kate, shrouded by powers of Mismagius, was scanning the tower from above. She could see that there was a violent attack upon the tower and some of the power supplies wee cut off entirely. That could be easily fixed, but what deserved most attention was the top of the tower. She flew down to the top of the tower to see what was causing the large cloud of smoke around it.<p>

She landed softly upon the platform, releasing Skarmory, but not returning Mismagius to its Pokeball. The Ex-Ranger still had use for it. She stayed behind an intact machine as she watched the ongoing scene.

A woman with blonde hair and peculiar blue locks was standing near the edge of the platform, a very dangerous part of the tower, Kate noted. Considering the others in green huddled around her were standing idly, she could tell that the odd woman out was their leader. Their leader seemed to be on the phone with someone, confirming a success in their mission.

"We messed with the frequency and cut off the power," she said throughout her message. "But, to be safe, we should probably take out the antenna, too. That way, they won't be able to communicate with anyone for a while..."

"Leader!"

Kate's attention was turned towards a recently arrived Pincher from the stairs. He ran in great haste and was only talking in gratuitous pants by the time he got into their hearing range. The blue and blonde haired woman was none too impressed.

"You're late," she reprimanded the Pincher. "Did you not get that Emblem?"

"Yes," The poor man gasped and dropped to his knees from exhaustion. "Here it is!"

In his hands was a chunk of stone, or rather, a broken fragment from a slab of stone. Kate would have to investigate this later. She would have to turn down any job offers for the rest of these three months.

The leader bent down to examine the rock, her cold glare switching to a kind smile.

"Good work!"

"Thank you, leader!" The Pincher huffed in pride, but then his face fell. "But, we have two small problems... Actually, they're nothing that major... One is that the Pokemon Rangers have made it up here. The other is that Raikou is standing coming..."

Sure enough, the platform began to shake, alarming all of the Pinchers. Kate, still concealed, immediately latched her hand into the edge of her hiding place. She pulled herself up to see what was causing a terrible commotion, and her gaze narrowed.

Raikou was standing before them in all its glory, fuming profusely. It laid eyes upon the blue haired woman, and immediately launched itself at her. The woman was surprisingly nimble, as she had leapt and rolled out of the way, and sprung to her feet as soon as she was away from harm. She then sent a death glare at her subordinates.

"What have those numbskulls done? They brought Raikou right to us!"

Kate couldn't help but snicker at these guys and their reaction to their leader. They were supposed to be the lowest of low, Pokemon poachers from all over the world, and they were simpering sobbing messes after a few harsh words from their leader. Have the criminal class become softer these days?

Raikou didn't pause for their shenanigans and let out a dangerous wave of electricity, which blew out the large device behind, and Kate's stomach lurched at the sight of the damaged antenna. Now she really couldn't take any offers...

Meanwhile, the leader got up to her feet, proud of the results. She simply stated that Raikou did them a favor of breaking the antenna.

"But at this rate," the blue-blonde turned towards the other Pinchers "It might be best to go..."

The Pinchers prepared to flee and they made their way for the stairs. Kate readied her Styler, prepared to take out the enraged Pokemom once the Pinchers left. However, their leader lingered longer than the Ex-Ranger had wanted, and in came the rest of the party.

-$48(!;&

Ben did not expect a sudden party of Pinchers barreling after him as he climbed the stairs with the others. Their numbers were so much that Ben felt like he was being swept up by a wave. Pichu was nearly knocked off its place on his shoulder. Rand and Keith didn't seem perturbed by this and they immediately leapt above the crowd and literally skipped over the Pinchers' heads. Ben wasn't even sure himself how that was possible.

They all managed to come up at once to the platform where a mysterious woman in white and blue stood. One look at her attire, and they could have easily assumed she was not armed. Her clothes were rather short and really hugged her figure, leaving no room to hide anything. The woman was the only one left from that large crowd or Pinchers evacuating.

They stopped at a safe distance from the woman, and Rand raised an accusing finger at her.

"You must be the leader of the Pinchers!" he shouted over the noise of the burnt and worn machines. "What have you been doing here?"

The woman laughed and pointed at the obvious destruction of the main parts of the Wireless Tower. Ben gasped at the appearance of a certain legendary Pokemom standing above the metal ruins.

"You're one step behind, Rangers," she claimed. "Raikou broke your precious antenna."

Keith furrowed his eyebrows, "So you're controlling Raikou, huh?"

"Oh, please. I'm no Ranger," the woman scoffed. "Actually, even a Ranger might have trouble controlling a legendary Pokemon."

The mysterious woman then ran to the other side of the platform and leapt onto a blue machine that hovered in the air, similar to the ones the Pinchers have been riding.

"At any rate, we destroyed the Wireless Tower, so our work here is done," the woman was very pleased with this fact. "There's no reason for me to hangs around, so ta-ta!"

The Pinchers' leader left on her Flyer, but Rand wasn't going to let this to by so easily.

"Wait!" he cried after it. "Tell us why you destroyed the tower!"

The woman stopped, and turned towards him one last time.

"I hate electromagnetic waves. Is that a good enough reason for you?" her coy answer wasn't helpful. "If I were you, though, I'd be a bi more concerned about the roaring Raikou next to me. Thanks for cleaning up, Rangers!"

Rand wanted more answers before she left, and so did Ben, but the two of them were held back by the redhead, who gave a nod to the irate Raikou glaring furiously at them. Rand's shoulders slackened and directed his attention to the legendary Pokemon.

"I hate to let her get away," he looked at the other two. "But we have to calm Raikou down first!"

"Pichu!"

The Pichu hopped off of Ben's shoulder and inched closer to Raikou. Keith and Rand were frozen in fright of what would happen to the poor creature, but Ben wasn't going to let it suffer.

"Pichu! Get away!" he cried. "It's too dangerous!"

The little mouse didn't heed his warnings and attempted to soothe the legendary with its ukulele, but Raikou wasn't fazed the sound of music, especially if the tune was drowned out by the machines around them. Instead, the lion-like Pokemon roared and aimed unbridled fury at the Pichu.

However, three Capture Discs were aimed towards Raikou and they began to circle themselves around the legendary. Keith and Rand were already on the move to keep out of Raikou's attacks, and Ben, as risky as he was, dove through and grabbed Pichu away and darted out of the way. Buizel, despite its type disadvantage, was weaving in and out of the attacks and trying to send anything at Raikou to help its partner Ranger.

Pichu was eager to help its partner in a more useful way, and clambered onto Ben's head. The Ranger was slightly disconcerted with the little mouse's decision, and grabbed it by the scruff of the neck as he rolled over onto the metal floor to dodge a harmful jolt of lightning.

"My head isn't the best place to help me," Ben suggested and he backed away from Pichu, trying to avoid any chance of becoming toast.

Pichu, as small as it was, began running towards Raikou. The lion seemed to be too caught up in its anger to even notice the little Pokemon anymore, giving the Pichu a perfect advantage. The yellow mouse swung its ukulele forward, and began to pluck at the strings. Rather than randomly playing a barrage of notes, its song became a more orderly one, something that had a melody one could appreciate.

Soon the Raikou became even more cooperative, its attacks receding. The Capture was almost complete, and Ben was surprised a capture like this was so easy and short, too. [2] With a large burst of power from Keith's efforts, the complete was finished, and their Stylers were all singing tunes of victory. However, Raikou didn't seem to be entirely well, and a blinding light burst throughout their surroundings.

Ben shielded his eyes from the attack, but something was suddenly etched into his eyesight. [3] He couldn't really pinpoint what this strange picture was. One way it looked like a sideways hourglass, or in another light, it could have been a lightning bolt with a bold line struck through it. Or this could be two triangles glued together at the end…?

"That's…" Ben whispered, and his Styler reacted soundly towards the strange symbol. Keith was unmoving, intrigued by the old mark, and glancing briefly at his own crazed Styler. The Stylers didn't seem to be familiar with the current situation, and instead, it saved something strange, a picture with a drawn scribble, though more organized than a random doodle.

The light died down, and the platform seemed emptier than ever. Ben could see the yellow flash in the forest below. Raikou had finally calmed down, and was going back to its retreat, not wishing to be seen by any common man.

"What was that bright light just now?" Rand was adjusting to the rapid change in light. He glanced at the two Rangers between him, confused as to why they were still staring forward when nothing was there.

"Ben? Keith? What's wrong?"

"Ah, yes, Rand?" the younger Ranger jumped and looked up at the dark man. "Something wrong?"

"You're just staring off into space," the man frowned. "Did you see something in the light?"

"No, I don't think so," Ben shook his head. "I thought I saw an optical illusion."

"Oh, good," Rand smiled, before staring disdainfully at the wrecked antenna of the tower. "At any rate, we successfully calmed down Raikou. And we managed to liberate the Wireless Tower, which was our original goal. Thanks to you, we were able to get this far."

"Oh, no, you helped as well," Ben smiled, and gave a polite bow. Rand was more friendlier and threw a large arm around the young man's shoulders.

"It's been many years since I've been able to say this!" Rand laughed and pumped his fist into the air. "Mission Clear!"

Ben followed it up with a small whoop, but the party died when the topic went back to the destroyed Wireless Tower again. Rand told him not to worry too much, since there are people who work at this place.

"I'll have someone look at the extent of the damage later," Rand reassured the Rangers. "Let's go back first so nobody worries about us."

Rand was the first to go. Pichu and Buizel, though usually staying with their masters, were more than happy to accompany Rand down the stairs. Ben was about to leave, when he noticed that Keith was still behind. The redhead Ranger hadn't said anything at all, and he hadn't moved from his spot since the time they finished capturing Raikou.

"Um… teacher?" Ben approached the man. "Something wrong?"

"No, not much," Keith replied, his eyes still fixated on the place where Raikou once stood. "I was sure I saw a fourth Capture Disc flying around when we were dealing with Raikou."

"A fourth one?" Ben blinked. "It could have been one of our Discs going really so fast we were seeing double."

"Perhaps…"

Keith spun around on his heel and headed towards the stairs to go down. Ben followed after him as soon as he moved, still puzzled as to why his teacher was more concerned about a simple illusion than that strange symbol they both saw when they were capturing Raikou. Ben still had the symbol etched into a picture in his Styler, and he was puzzled as to what it meant and why he was the one to know about it.

"Come. We aren't going to be any safer up here."

* * *

><p>As soon as the thee Rangers reached the bottom of the tower, they were welcomed by a very pleased smile on both Leanne and Ice's faces.<p>

"Good work you two!" Leanne gave her husband a warm hug. "We could see them fleeing fro here! There was a bright light from the top, though. What happened?"

"For some reason, Raikou appeared," Rand responded vaguely. "It was agitated, so we had to calm it."

"You did?" Leanne stared incredulously at her husband's recount. "That is very interesting."

"Good work," Ice added, his eyes gazing back at the shed. Keith picked up on his friend's wariness and headed towards the shack with Ben following after him. They arrived to find Buckhart, still dangerously charged, and two hapless Pinchers who were ties to chairs in the corner. Rand and Leanne joined them soon after, with further shock on Rand's part.

"Buck!" the dark Ranger gasped. "What's the deal with those Pinchers?"

The large man looked up at them nonchalantly and grinned as if he had some great secret to tell.

"I caught two that were the slowest trying to escape," he nodded towards the Pinchers. "I was just making an inquiry about the details of their story."

The man approached the captives, who shrunk back in fear of the large sparks that spring out of the blonde's clothes.

"Well now.." Buckhart gave a sly smirk. "Shall we continue, Pinchers? What did you accomplish by destroying the Wireless Tower?"

"W-We told you a million times already..." one of them shivered. "We really don't know anything!"

"Getting a little confident because I'm asking nicely, are we?" Buckhart didn't seem all too fazed of the implications. "I guess you want another little shock like before."

"N-no! Anything but that! I swear, honest! We were only following our leader's orders!"

"You two are really irritating!" The blonde was slowly losin his temper. "Who's your leader? What are you planning?"

The Pinchers squeaked in response, and everyone said little of the interrogation. Ben was most surprised that someone could be more ferocious than his own teacher in the interrogation room.

"Can't be helped," Rand replied when Ben told him his thoughts. "You know, Buckhart did take part in the construction of the tower, so he's quite angry that someone would go and try to destroy it. Generally, Buckhart is a nice guy once you get to know him."

Keith was continuously restless for the next minute, his fingers twitching as he lost himself in thought about the recent happenings. He was sure he saw the fourth Capture Disc and there was no illusion in that, and he knew the real meaning behind it. He was closer to his goal than he had wished to be.

The idleness of the group subsided when Ice, who was on the lookout, pointed out the stray Pinchers who had just begun leaving the premises. Keith immediately took action and sent Rand and Ben off after those remnants while he and everyone else retreat to Basil's home. Now that Rand's house was no longer, they had chosen Basil and Ice's residence as the base of operations.

Before they departed, Leanne gave Rand a small hug, praying that he'd be careful. The Ranger assured his wife that he'll be safe because Ben would keep him in line. Soon after, the two Rangers set out down the mountain to pursue the Pinchers.

By LatoLato Trail, they caught up to the Pinchers, who had lost to their lack of endurance in the middle of the trail.

"We've probably lost them by now," the green suited man panted and looked over his shoulder at the Rangers. "Huh?"

"We can't get caught! Run!"

The woman beside him yanked him by the arm and sent them sprinting.

Pichu cried after it, and Ben and Rand chased after the criminals. They went so far as past Hinder Cape into the very lengthy wooden bridge, where the Pinchers could no longer run. Fortunately, their Flyers had been left nearby, and even worse, a figure familiar to Ben was waiting for them. Red Eyes, Ben thought, and many feelings of disgust and resentment festered in his mind.

"These are the two we were talking about!" the female Pincher complained, pointing at the newly arrived Rangers. "They followed us the whole way here!"

Red Eyes nodded politely to their pleas, "I'm not the leader of your team. But of course I'll help you out. Just leave this to me! You two just flee!"

"Okay! That's what we'll do, then!"

Red Eyes watched as his colleague's subordinates flew off on them respective Flyers, leaving him to deal with the current nuisances. He took a better a look at the Rangers, and he was in for a shock. Why was the boy here?

"You, the young Ranger," Red Eyes drawled, hiding his initial surprise. "I thought you looked familiar somewhere."

Ben grimaced in response to Red Eyes's greeting, "Likewise."

The red and blonde haired man scanned Ben and his body. He was disheartened to the painfully obvious lack of injuries.

"You're the other Ranger we saw falling, right?" he maintained his cool composure. "You're still alive? Even after falling all the way to the ocean from the clouds..." [4]

Ben's glare only narrowed, his already established dislike for the man burning even more. Rand was quite taken by the appearance of Red Eyes. Ben's previous description of him was slightly exaggerated, but enough to help Rand recognize him immediately.

"So you're the one who attacked them in the clouds," he muttered. Ben wasn't as surprised. He wanted to march up to the man while he could and grab him by the collar, but there as no telling what could happen next.

His next question was more of demand than anything else, "Where's Summer?"

Red Eyes chuckled, knowing that a simple minded Ranger like Ben would ask a question like that. He mockingly shrugged, leaving the two Rangers unsettled.

"Sorry," he replied. "Can't tell you. Especially because you're a Pokemon Ranger. I know how good you Rangers are. That's why I know to be careful not to leak any information to you."

"You..." Ben growled, but Red Eyes rose a hand to add something more.

"That being said... I'll take pity on you and tell you one thing: Summer... She's safe. No harm has been done to her."

Ben and Rand made an effort to keep their jaws from dropping. The former was relieved that his partner wasn't being tortured for information, and the latter was surprised the Pinchers weren't as cruel as he had assumed. Still, Rand didn't approve of the situation at all.

"I can't believe you managed to catch a Ranger," the dark Ranger said disdainfully.

"That stubborn Ranger has even given me trouble," The Pinchers leader snorted in contempt. "But no need to worry. We aren't savages. The young ones are treating our guest with appropriate respect."

He headed towards his Red Flyer, seeing his job here was done. The Rangers have little purpose in going after him for the time being.

"Well, now... There's more important work to be done, so I'll be going," he then activated his own gauntlet, and dropped some Pokemon. "But I'd like to give you a goodbye present. Here enjoy!"

"Duck!" Rand shouted to the other, who instinctively dropped to his stomach, his nose scraping against the wood of the bridge. A quarter Electrode settled on the different parts of the bridge and self destructed, blowing up a major portion of the bridge. Pichu screamed I fright of the explosion and clung onto Ben's vest for dear life. Ben peered up to see Red Eyes giving a pretentious wave goodbye to the before departing soundlessly on his Z.Z. Flyer. Ben resolved to go after him, but the bridge embedded from the impact of the explosion, and Pichu was crawling all over him, scared to death by the attack. Rand, though disconcerted, was getting up slowly to his feet. Conveniently, Ben was notified by Keith that he and the others had successfully made it back, with no Pinchers or other criminals coming in their way. Once Keith asks his student to tell him what had happened, the redhead seemed deep in some thought before giving their next plan of action. He asked them to come back and rethink their plans since they couldn't get past the mangled bridge.

"Unfortunately, we won't be able to make them tell us their plans," Keith explained.

Ben, still hopeful and slightly more optimistic, returned with a small smile.

"But at least we know Summer's safe. If we can believe what he says.."

"Indeed. However, I told Basil what happened at the Tower. He seems to have something in mind for you."

* * *

><p>FOOTNOTES:<p>

[*] Just a pet peeve of mine regarding Arceus. I get uncomfortable when I read fanfiction and people see it fit to replace "Oh my god" with "Oh my Arceus." I'm not partial to any religion, and I understand that Arceus sorta did create the Pokemon universe, but it's just disconcerting to read interjections in a very odd way.

[1] Yes, that is a "Sign." I believe that there are signs for every Pokemon native to the islands, and if you knew the right ones, you could easily use it. Also, in this version, technically anyone can use the Emblems, as long as they have the right equipment and have a keen eye to detect Emblems.

[2] I played the game to the end twice, and Raikou's challenge was relatively easy. I really hated Mewtwo, though… generally, I hate capturing any Pokemon that spits out things that circle around them and make them entirely impossible to capture for a whole twenty seconds.

[3] Ever had that type of sensation where you see an imprint of something dark on a blank paper if you blink or gaze at it? This is something like that.

[4] If you're falling from a really large height into the water, you're pretty much hitting concrete at 80 mph. Ben could have easily hurt himself badly and not move if he were a normal person, so he could have died. However, given the abilities of Black Water, which grants him some amount of resistance, he managed to survive, but knocked himself out in the process. Also, if Red Eyes intended to kill Ben…

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**_ Very tired from important stuff and typing things as crappy as they come. I'm close to finishing out the script for this and translating it out into actual writing. Meanwhile, I'm bothering to work on the webcomic I wanted to make. And now I'm working to finish this animation project that takes too many retakes. I'm no art student, but this is kinda exhausting when you're already sitting out doing SAT prep stuff. Wish me luck on actually finishing all this!_


	10. Out of a Simple Piece of Wood

**Tracks of Light**

**Chapter 10 – Out of a Simple Piece of Wood**

* * *

><p>For the most part, Basil's summer home was still orderly, even though Nema still was amazed by the many things Basil and Ice could possibly have in just a summer home, along with a very large assortment of Pokemon that occasionally roamed the place when Basil and Ice called them out from their Pokeballs. Keith was for sure no stranger to these Pokemon, since he knew every single one by name. She had insisted that he did whenever they visited her parent's home. Sadly, she didn't seem to find any value in taking any of her Pokemon with her when she left…<p>

"They're back!" Nema excitedly ran about the living room. For a child who was just entirely brain dead from realizing that her house had blown up, she recovered quite easily. A psychological mechanism…?

Basil and Leanne were making dinner in the kitchen, knowing that an evening like this required a large amount of food to satisfy four grown men. Ben and Rand clambered into the foyer, having walked the entire way up the hill that led to Basil's home.

"You two must be tired," Ice noted, looking up from a business plan that needed finishing. "You look fairly disappointed."

"When we were chasing the Pinchers, we met another leader besides the one at Wireless Tower," Rand struggled out of his shoes and slipped into the indoor slippers given to him. "And then he violently destroyed Big Booker Bridge that goes to Mitatonga. Booker won't be happy about this."

"That's terrible," Basil supplied while he and Leanne set up the table just across from everyone else [1].

"They were trying to trap the Rangers on this island, then," Keith suggested.

"True," Leanne quipped. "The ocean current here is very fast, so we can't go by ship for extra hands…"

"We could get a Pokemon's help," Rand settled himself in a very comfy chair in the living room. "But lately I haven't seen any Staraptor for some reason. I guess the only thing left to do is repairs the bridge. We'll have to ask Booker to fix it. He did design it, after all."

"Well, we should save the discussion for later," Leanne smiled. "You should fill yourselves up first. It's been a long day."

Everyone agreed very easily to her suggestion, and they helped themselves to the food that had been prepared. The dismal atmosphere had suddenly become warmer again, and everyone was doing their best to forget everything that had happened for the past few hours. Ben listened quietly to Rand laughing heartily at Keith's recount of a hostile encounter with a Gyarydos during his first year as a Ranger. Leanne and Nema listened eagerly, while Basil, who had heard the story dozens of times before, was sitting closely to Ice, discussing business plans for the next month once their vacation was over. Ben was to sit by himself and observe how absurd this looked.

Indeed, they were all trying to put away what had happened. The mission was already at a very rough start. Rand wasn't very well adjusted to his current lack of a home, despite how calmly he presented himself. Leanne and Nema weren't so great, either. Ben could easily see that Keith was very unfocused. Whatever it was, the redhead was being sidetracked with something big. Basil and Ice had it easy, by for some reason; Ben could tell from the pallid tinge on their faces they weren't any more comfortable about the situation.

He himself couldn't stop worrying about how this would be done. Summer was still in the hands of those poachers, who knew what they could do to her. He couldn't take Red Eyes words as truth, especially since the man tried to murder him on a first meeting. On that note, his head began to think of all the possible ways he could find Summer when those Pinchers would decide to send her back. He could only see the worst things imaginable. Suddenly memories rose from underneath his zone of comfort. [2] Mental images of needles and bright floodlights accompanied by white lab coats and malicious smiles returned to the Ranger...

"Ben!"

He had the urge to nearly jump out of his seat in fright, but he only went far enough to tighten his grip on the fork in his hand. The boy looked up at the worried eyes of Basil, who was the first to see his friend turn sheet white. Ben was shaking from his lucid nightmare, his teeth digging hard into his lips. Pichu had seen its partner's distress and stared at Ben with its large eyes.

Ben scanned the dining room, hoping to see everyone staring at him in shock. However, Rand and the others didn't seem to notice his brief meltdown, and Ben's gaze returned to Basil's.

Basil kept a firm hold on his hand, and pried the destroyed fork from his fingers. The young man stared wistfully at the utensil and put it behind his own plate for later disposal. He then turned back to Ben and began running him through a series of questions like... Was he aware of his place? How was he feeling? Did he have another flashback? What was bothering him?

"Goodness," Basil sighed as he patted Ben on the back. "Don't get too worked up. We'll pull through somehow, just like we always do, right?"

Ben gave a hesitant nod, and looked at Pichu, who had been very worried the entire time. The little Pokemon knew nothing about his past, and probably wouldn't be able to understand everything if he told the mouse. He was at least thankful that this Pokemon was actually concerned for his well-being, but he had to harden the words to his head. Just because the Pokemon was nice to you, doesn't mean that it's going to stay with you forever...

The rest of dinner continued smoothly, and after a session of cleaning up, Basil and Ice led the others to their office, a well-spaced organized room with two desks for the sole residents of the house, and a sofa or two for visitors or clients. Leanne and Rand settled beside each other while Ben and Keith took opposite ends of a sofa. Nema had been ushered away to one of the guest bedrooms to go to bed, since her parents didn't quite approve of their ten-year-old daughter staying up till midnight.

What followed was pure recap of what had happened. Ben had to repeat his entire story from beginning to end about Rasp Cavern, and he even had to fill them in about the situation of the bridge. The suggestion that Summer had not yet been harmed relieved most of the group, but Keith didn't let the bad news slide.

"Just a while ago," he said. "Buckhart looked at the tower after everyone left. Everything from wiring to the antenna is a mess, even blown off. It's going to take a long time to fix. Communications will be a no go until a month or so. We're on our own from now on."

"So even though we want to give this information to be Union, we can't," Rand slumped in his seat.

"Neither can we communicate wirelessly," Basil added. "We do have energy reserves in the plant near the tower, but that is for sustaining the islands. We shouldn't take away the civilians' power to risk making a call that probably still won't make it."

"Right now, we'll just gather whomever guy you can and start working in repairs," Rand then said decisively. "I'll meet up with them, tomorrow morning."

"Yes," Keith approved. "I'll go with you to go check out the situation at the Wireless Tower, Rand. For the other pressing matter..."

The redhead placed a firm gaze on Ben. "Ben, I'd like you to ask Booker to repair the bridge tomorrow. He should be able to fix the bridge within a week or so with the help of his Pokemon."

There were other things that needed to be taken care of, such as addressing the rest of the civilians around the islands about the situation. Basil and Ice would be going about by chopper to relay the message. As for Leanne...

"Also, something to wrap up this debrief," Keith spearheaded the topic. "Ben and I saw something that should be of your attention."

He sorted through his Styler and brought the saved image of the strange symbol he and Ben picked up just after capturing Raikou. Ben looked through his own Styler and found the image as well. His teacher didn't hesitate to recall what had happened at the tower in detail. Rand were very alarmed, while Leanne, Basil, and Ice were quite intrigued on the contrary.

"After you captured Raikou," Leanne asked. "You saw this symbol in the light and it saved onto your Styler by default."

Ben gave a small nod, and Leanne stared closely at the symbol, lost in thought.

"It's like some kind of Emblem," she confirmed. "I've been doing research on this since ten years ago. I've heard of things like this, but never thought they still work to this day."

"So you're an expert on this subject?" Keith inquired, his eyes sparkling in interest.

"Yes," Leanne answered hesitantly. "But I can't remember at the top of my head. This isn't my actual main research subject. I'll have to look back into my things we moved here last night..."

"If you're talking about Emblems," Basil piped up. "I might have something to start the discussion. Ice and I were thinking of some potential tourist services so we had to do some research on certain places of the island."

"That's nice," Leanne smiled. "So what do you have?"

"Well," Ice reached for his laptop on the desk nearby and on the blinds, a projected image of a variety of photos and documents regarding Oblivia's history. Ben couldn't help but be wowed by this immense information, even though it was only the tip of the iceberg for research.

"If the Emblem came from Raikou," Basil narrated. "That must have come from Rasp Cavern. We have a photo of the stone monument before it was defaced here. We hired someone to translate the poem on the stone:

_'O Chosen One, whose heart is one with Raikou,_

_Draw the Emblem of the Light,_

_Hold it, towards the heavens,_

_And Raikou shall assist thee.'"_

"In other words," Leanne picked up on the subject quickly. "That figure is a symbol of Raikou's approval. Maybe it would be better to call it an Emblem."

"So, drawing that Emblem in the sky lets you receive Raikou's help," Rand was still skeptical about the idea. "Doesn't that remind you of a Pokemon Ranger's capture?"

"Exactly," Keith snapped his fingers, an idea coming up. "Communicating by drawing a figure is just like a capture." "Good point there," Leanne stared intensely at the symbol. "I wonder I'd we can use the Styler Energy to call Raikou, just like the Hero of Legend did in the past?"

Rand gave his wife a skeptical frown. "I don't think the Styler has any functions like that, though..."

"Even if that's not a function it was originally equipped with, I think we can do it with only a minor modification that basically means: by building a special circuit, it can create a special wavelength that can reach Pokemon," Basil chimed in [3].

Rand and Ben was slightly puzzled by the jargon Basil was sputtering out, but Keith and Ice had some idea about what the young man meant.

"We have a Z.Z. Flyer in our workshop downstairs, so we could reverse-engineer it to see what's inside. It will be difficult without a full team, but Conan and I will do our best to develop a program for you as soon as possible."

"That's a start," Keith clapped his hands. "It's really midnight already, so we should all get some rest. We've got a big day ahead so let's get as much sleep as we can."

Rand had no problem agreeing, and neither did Ben. He was more than happy to finally get to bed, especially after all the crap he's been through today.

Naturally, Basil's home never failed to amaze him. He had his own room, well, there were two beds, but Keith wanted to be by himself, and the Saturdays [5] were in their own room. Ben couldn't believe the sudden freedom he had.

He changed quickly into sleepwear, or the most comfortable he could find in his very small amount of luggage. Keith stressed the point about bringing as little as possible on missions.

"We aren't here to go camping or vacationing," he'd say. "We're surviving and working."

He prepared himself fully for sleep, and he was ready to just flop onto the bed.

Pichu was also weary, and it climbed into the bed with him and curled up on the pillow. Ben had asked it kindly to put away the ukulele, for the night, and now it looked like any normal Pichu.

Ben could still remember the poor thing crying and discharging all over the island when he first arrived, now it was so relaxed. Ben recalled the two times Pichu bravely charged in and stood up to Pinchers even though it didn't really quite succeed. But it kept going, all to save its friends. The Ranger was amazed at how small a Pokemon like this little one to have such a heart. How adorable, he thought as he reached over to the little yellow Pokemon and petted it behind the ear.

The Pichu responded positively with a small affectionate sigh, and it opens its large eyes to him, and Ben was driven to smile at it. Attachment to this little fellow was inevitable.

"Koa."

The Pichu was surprised as to what Ben meant, but he realized the slip of his tongue and stiffened under the sheets.

"I-I mean," Ben stuttered. "If you had a name, it would be Koa. I guessed you wouldn't like it, me being all familiar and all..." [6]

"Pichu..." The little mouse crept closer to him and pawed softly at his cheek, a small jolt of electricity that transferred between them. Ben expected a sting, but he felt warmth, joy and playfulness in his words previously. Was Pichu... Okay with the name...?

"You have no problem?" Ben looked at the Pokemon, and it squeaked happily. His face warned up and he resumed to petting the mouse on the head.

"Well, Koa it is," Ben smiled. "I'll name you Koa."

"Pichu..."

"Well, then, good night, Koa..."

* * *

><p>Kate worked soundlessly in the lower levels of the house, her mind winded over the current predicament. She had already phoned in on her employer that she would not be of service for a while, and the man was an accommodating boss, and he arranged for another man to take over for her position and wished her luck on her leave or absence. Now that her minor business was cleared, hr attention was directed solely towards the main issue.<p>

Just shortly after, Basil had entered the basement and climbed down the stairs. Staravia, perched on its podium beside Kate's desk, crooned in welcome, while a Mismagius shyly hid itself away behind the computer screens. Kate didn't look up to face her younger brother as he drew near. The young man noted the empty plate and glass on the tray at the edge of her desk. Croagunk was set to carry it back to the kitchen once everyone was in their rooms.

"I see you've eaten dinner," Basil began. "I'm guessing you went to the tower?"

"Yes," Kate replied tersely. "It seems that he and many others are here."

"Well, the Rangers base here was recently attacked, I guess I should be a bit hospitable, considering my connections to the Union's science department."

Kate tapped away on her keyboard, her eyes not laid upon him.

"I guess you told them about the signs. Good save, I might say."

"Well, I guess," Basil shrugged before presenting his idea. "Say... Should we give them the Signs program?"

Kate stopped typing, and she went on to tidy up her desk. She was doing quite a good job of being preoccupied.

"I don't see why not. The Rangers need it, and he is going to suggest it and ask you to do it anyway."

"True," Basil agreed. "Keith's always been persistent... Say..."

"No, Basil," Kate cut him off abruptly. "I really shouldn't."

"But you've been legally acquitted," Basil tried to persuade her. This made Kate sigh and she finally gazed up at him with stern blue eyes.

"For that time, yes. But what about now? I've fallen so far, I probably can't go back now. All I can do now is help from the shadows or find the cure. That's all that matters in my life now."

* * *

><p>The next morning was slightly messy. Ben woke up the latest, and was greeted by a very unsuspecting crash in the hallway. Ben had jolted awake, nearly tossing Koa across the room, and he scramble towards the door to see who caused a racket.<p>

The Ranger flung his door open and stared at a familiar little girl in front of his door. Nema smiled up at him mischievously, as if he had committed the worst scandal imaginable.

"Mom wondered why you weren't up yet," she explained. "I'm the only one here now, so you should get going soon."

Ben raised an eyebrow, confused as to what the girl meant, but he stared back at the digital clock and paled considerably. He had slept in two hours more than everyone else! How could that have happened?

He gave a quick thanks to Nema before slamming the door in her face. The startled boy scrambled about the room trying to get himself together for the late morning. He was leaping around as he tried to get to the bathroom while putting in his socks at the same time, consequently tripping and pulling on the bed sheets. An unfortunate Pichu tumbled down to the floor, waking it up, and Koa was squeaking its head off finding Ben struggling to get up. To bring in more to his troubles, Nema still seemed to be waiting at the door, and she knocked politely when he stumbled and bumped into the wall minutes later.

Luckily, he got out of his room only a bit disheveled on the head, and he was subject to a very cold breakfast, but Nema was kind enough to reheat it up for him. The taste wasn't as excellent, but at least it wasn't hard and unappetizing the time he first saw it today.

He hurriedly got out of the house as soon as he could. He wondered if it was okay for Nema to be at Basil's place by herself, but he remembered that he some of Basil's Pokemon lurking about in the hall, so Nema wasn't entirely alone.

He ran tirelessly to Cocona Village, and he glanced at the clock nearby. Noontime, and he was ashamed that he couldn't come any earlier. Oh, what trouble he could get into with his teacher for not waking up earlier.

The town was well-to-do at the time. Ben was sure that the people would be concerned by what happened the day before, but there was nothing that seemed out of the ordinary. Normally, like in Almia, people would immediately rush into their homes at the sight of a Ranger and stay inside as much as possible whenever things like this happened.

Ben trotted over to Booker's home and was careful to wait and knock on the door before going in after he was welcome. He didn't know Booker well enough to casually march into the shipbuilder's workshop. The old man was quite happy to see him, and offered him some black coffee, which the Ranger delightfully declined.

"You sure, sonny?" Booker wasn't at all convinced. "I know you youngsters can't handle the time differences, and Keith told me it's your first time on a mission out of your home region."

Ben still declined anything that could energize him for the rest of the day. He was thinking more about his very light lunch up ahead during the day.

"My teacher called?"

"Called me real early in the mornin'" Booker put away the mug and jabbed at Nick when the boy wasn't doing work. The green haired boy squeaked at the touch and set shot bumbling over his handiwork for the day.

"How early?"

"Hm... I forget, sonny, but I remember seeing the first light come out when he called. He told me all the details."

"Yeah..." Ben tried to get to the point. "I was supposed to tell you.."

"Oh, the Bridge?" Booker seemed to read his mind too well. "Don't worry about it. Nick and I will be heading out there in an hour after lunch. We're going to have to campy out there nearby to get it fixed in a few days like Keith asked."

"You are?" Ben sat up, astonished. Koa mirrored his response, also surprised.

"Well of course!" Booker laughed. "There's no time to waste now, because of all these hubbaloo about poachers on the islands. Gotta help you Rangers somehow."

"That bridge is one of the works my boss is extremely proud of," Nick came in from the workshop. "He was in tears and fists when he heard the bridge was destroyed."

"Oi!" Booker snapped at his apprentice. "Mind yer own business!"

"Sorry!" the green haired boy drew back, before he noticed that Ben was the visitor. "Hey, Ben. How has the ukulele been working since that time? Since I fixed it, has it stopped making sound? Or, on the other hand, the sound got way too loud... "

Ben blinked at the boy, half puzzled as to why he really came to this woodworking shop.

"The ukulele?" Ben looked at Koa. "Not really. The ukulele seems to be working fine. Koa's been able to play an actual song on it when we were at the Wireless Tower."

"Oh, that's good. The sound it makes is appropriately ukulele-ish. But usually, it should make a more sustained sound, shouldn't it? I'd like to adjust the ukulele a little bit, but..."

"An adjustment?" Ben raised an eyebrow. Koa, on the other hand, seemed interested.

"If an amateur like me adjusts it," Nick's explanation evolved into a full blown anxiety attack. "Do might become Mi or Fa might become Re. Or even worse, So might become flat, like a Sa, or Ti might become something sharp, like a Di..."

He was appropriately cut off by Koa jumping off of Ben's shoulders and presenting the blue ukulele to him. It had a wide smile on its face, and it squeaked very delightfully to his earlier offer. Nick stared back at the Pichu, flabbergasted by its actions.

"Pichu? You'd leave this in the hands of a guy like me?"

Koa didn't hesitate to answer by an excited leap in the air, and Nick took the blue instrument as he headed back into the workspace.

"Thank you! I'll do my best!"

While the green haired boy worked eagerly in the shop, Booker and Ben watched with fascinated eyes. For Ben, he was amazed that a boy with a negative disposition could be so spirited. As for Booker, the shipbuilder was set to see the one thing that made him accept his one and only apprentice, a boy who could be so devoted and hard-working to master the arts of wood, all for the Pokemon of Oblivia. Such selflessness he could have never thought to have found in these islands!

Koa was a patient little Pichu. It paced back and forth on the counter a few times, until it retreated back to Ben's shoulder to wait. Ben took this opportunity to let it behind the ear, and it appreciated the gesture, snuggling closer to his cheek. Booker was amazed that Ben was interacting so closely with Koa.

"You named the lil' fella?"

Ben looked up at the shipbuilder. He nodded weakly, afraid of what Booker would think. The man then shrugged and was seemingly quite accepting of the given circumstances.

"Koa's a good name," he mused. "In fact, there are some koa plants especially on Dolce Island. You know, this lil' fella's ukulele's made of koa wood."

"Wow," Ben laughed. "So my guess on a name was spot on, then."

Koa chirped in agreement, and the old man and young Ranger conversed for a while before Nick emerged from the workshop wiping the sweat off his brow and handing a polished ukulele. Koa received it very well, and had begun testing its strings as it danced about the counter.

"Thanks for waiting," Nick told Ben. "I wanted to adjust the ukulele so it made a more sustained sound, making the music last longer. I think it will help you with your capture even more than before!"

The Pichu was making full strums and chords on its newly adjusted ukulele, and Ben could feel even more calm when little Koa played its little song. Maybe it did sound pretty good enough to calm Pokemon.

After much talk, Booker and Nick were at the door with Ben and Koa.

"Oh," Booker forgot to mention earlier. "Keith told me you should patrol a bit. Apparently yer Rangers are all doing big stuff on the other islands. He mentioned that you need a rest or something."

Ben wasn't sure if he was relieved or annoyed. His teacher was suddenly babying him, but there wasn't much that could be done. Someone had to patrol the islands. Perhaps the villagers weren't so blissful of the attack after all…

"Well," Nick smiled to both Ben and Koa. "Boss and I are off. I'm glad I got I adjust Pichu's ukulele before I left."

"Thank you, Nick," Ben said curtly as they both stepped out of the shop. Booker locked it promptly and master and apprentice were roaming down the road to Big Booker Bridge, or what's left of it. The last thing they said to Ben was a highly recommended restaurant that had just opened up. Ben suspected that it was opening because of his friend's plans to attract attention to the islands as a vacationing placed. He and Koa were quite hungry from the measly breakfast they didn't manage finish hours ago. Ben had followed Booker's earlier recommendation of the local ramen shop they had here. Koa, having never ventured out of its home in Dolce Island was fascinated with the small restaurant, and it jumped on Ben, desiring to know more about the place. Ben gave a small chuckle and ordered a large bowl. He could see the little Pokemon's profound expression as the bowl of steaming soup was set before it. And it was ready to dig in, it not for his quick motion of chopsticks.

Ben fed Koa a bit of the noodles, and the little mouse was taken aback by its salty taste. It was given a slice of pork [7], and it was even more delighted by the ramen. Ben then asked for a small empty bowl, and poured some of his ramen into the bowl for Pichu. The little Pokemon couldn't be any more enthusiastic.

The Ranger watched the mouse help itself to this strange and new delicacy, and he smiled at how Koa jumped and squealed when it took a taste out of the soup. He could feel the pain and burdens of his chest lifting when he could just place his mind on petty things like watching Koa eat ramen for the first time.

His temporary bliss faded when he realized his position. Sure, he and Koa were now inseparable, but such a friendship shouldn't be judged so easily after two days. Ben was sure the Pinchers situation would be cleared in a month, and by then, Koa would find its friends and return to a blissful life back on Dolce while he goes on in life, an attachment lost. He was going right down that path, and he was uncertain again whether or not this was to be his trusty partner Pokemon or not. He had gone so far as to name the little guy, and he was still not sure if he was to hold onto this feeling.

Ben and Koa were working on small things like clearing Teakwood Forest of fallen trees blocking the trails or helping domesticated Pokemon to fly or use electric abilities. Most of the time, Ben was assuring the civilians that everything would be okay, regarding the Pinchers' assault on the tower and Ranger base on Renbow Island.

This lasted all the way to evening when Basil, now back at home, called Ben to return to the summer house. Ben and Koa set off on the path to his friend's home when Koa was eerily still. Ben slowed to a stop at the round near Curl Bay and he felt a strange stillness in the forest. He turned round slowly, seeing if anything was waiting in prey for him.

Koa then jumped right off of Ben's shoulder in fright and scrambled around him. Ben raised an eye at his friend's behavior before he saw a familiar green streak flash past his eyes. His face turned pallid as his worst guesses were correct when a green sphere enveloped itself around him, keeping Koa out. The distraught Pokemon outside watched in horror as Ben rose to the air and in an instant, he vanished with the green sphere he was trapped in.

* * *

><p><em>Seconds later, Ben was dropped to the ground, landing on his back this time. He hissed at the throbbing pain, and he came to far with blue plated armor, blue feathers, and a child. Ben recognized him, and he had dearly wished this wouldn't happen again... So Celebi didn't want to give him a break?<em>

_Not only Ravio was present, but two other people, both considerably older than Ravio. One was a woman with platinum white hair, quite unlikely for a woman her age, and she was adorned in a white and dark purple cloak with feathers. The other was a dark skinned man in dark red and black. Both of the adults' backs were turned and he seemed more attentive on the pair of large doors that stood before them._

_"Ravio was right," the man muttered. "The door is usually opened, but now it's closed. What's happening inside the temples?"_

_The woman turned round to Ravio, and looked further begin him. Ben's head turned to see that the little bastard of a time traveler had caused him trouble again._

_"Celebi, where have you been?" the woman asked worriedly to the said Pokemon. "Ravio's been looking for you. Huh? Who is this person?"_

_The man, surprised by the woman's response, turned round to look at Ben._

_"Those clothes... You must be Ben, right? Ravio's told us about you. My name is Tanvir."_

_"My name is Kira," the woman nodded. "I guess more of Celebi's mischief has brought you back here."_

_"Well, that..." Ben tried to figure out what was going on, but he was shoved forward by Celebi. He wanted to turn around and curse at it, but the persistent Pokemon kept pushing him in the direction of the gate. Tanvir and Kira readily pulled Ben away and turned to scold Celebi like a mother to a child who did wrong._

_"Celebi," Tanvir chided sternly. "I can't turn a blind eye this time! You should behave!"_

_"Sorry for the trouble, Ben," Ravio bowed repeatedly. "I heard you're called a Pokemon something, right?"_

_"Yes..." Ben answered hesitantly. "And it's Pokemon Ranger. But why do you ask?"_

_"Well, Miss Katrina said she's one of those people," Ravio answered cheerily. Kira and Tanvir's faces turned grave and Ben was disbelieving._

_"Who's Miss Katrina?"_

_"She is a person like yourself," Kira explained. "Ever since there had been big trouble here in the kingdom, she's always appeared to save the day. Lately, Miss Katrina has been a well known vigilante in the kingdom, and the king's been adamant about finding her real identity. We've met her personally, and we only learned that Celebi transport here and back from the future."_

_"She's very skilled!" Ravio added. "She's taught me many things about becoming an oracle! And she's from the future!"_

_"A time displaced person," Ben muttered. "like me?"_

_"Yeah..." Tanvir answered. "Celebi must have tried to find Miss Katrina, but it somehow gotten you here instead. I'd imagine you don't have time to play games with Celebi. Besides..."_

_All of them briefly looked back at the high walls. Ben could imagine that either a castle or a large important building hid behind those walls, and something was wrong, going by the worried looks on the three ancients' faces._

_"We don't have time to waste," Kira sulked. "The Pokemon are acting up lately. We're here to consult with the temple of the Oracles. Then... We found out the doors closed. It's usually open... That worries us... If only Miss Katrina would appear..."_

_"Celebi should be sending Ben back," Ravio suggested. "Celebi can only take one or two people, and Miss Katrina should be coming real soon."_

_Tanvir agreed with Kira, and gave an apologetic look to the present Ranger. "Ben, please forgive Celebi. Let's go back to what we have to do in our own times."_

_"Um, yeah, but..." Ben was slightly annoyed that he was being ignored by everyone. "What does Miss Katrina look like? I want to know more, because I can help you."_

_"I'm sorry," Ravio's shoulders slumped. "But we can't say anything else. Celebi... Travel through time to send Ben back."_

_"No, wait!" Ben raised his voice and was thrashing about as Celebi prepared to take him back to the present._

* * *

><p>Ben curled into a ball as he was flung to the ground. He rolled across the grass, the wet greenery staining his uniform lightly. Ben could hear the lasting echo of Celebi's playful chirp still ringing in his head. He was fuming at the fact that those people back there ignored him for the most part, and he wanted to know more about whatever was going on back then. Whoever that "Ms. Katrina" was, she was from the present, and he somehow got mixed up into the mess. Ben wanted to know why he was accidentally picked up, and why he was the same as that person…<p>

"Oh, Ben!" Basil's voice made the Ranger jump out of his skin, and he scrambled to his feet. He was back at the front door of Basil's home. Wait, wasn't he supposed to be on the way to Basil's house? Why didn't Celebi drop him off at the same place he had been taken away? How did that Pokemon know he was meaning to go here?

"Ben!" His friend caught his attention, and the Ranger could the young man running towards his direction, with a yellow bundle of fur on his shoulder. Ben squinted, and he could see that Koa was present as well. How did that guy get here?

"Ben!" Basil caught up to him and now out of breath (Basil was never the athletic type). Koa leapt from Basil's shoulder and landed into Ben's arms, and it kept snuggling into his chest, as if it had waited a century for him to come back. Basil smiled as the Ranger hesitantly stroked the Pichu's ears, and he explained what had happened. Ben was able to piece together this mishap easily.

Koa, upon Ben's disappearance, had run all the way to Basil's door himself, all by itself. Of course, Basil was surprised as to why Ben wasn't with the Pichu, since the two were now nigh inseparable. Five minutes later, a loud pop was heard in the meadow, and Ben had returned to the summer house, unharmed, and very confused.

"Not everyone is back yet," Basil added. "Keith and Rand are still at the tower, and Leanne, Conan, and Nema are at the basement working on something. You can help me with dinner, if you like."

Ben was given no room to express his own opinion as his friend grabbed him by the wrist and forcefully dragged him into the kitchen to help. Most notably, to all his friends, Ben was no cook, and he wondered why Basil thought it was okay to help make dinner. The best he could do at the time was listening for instructions. Anything that was complicated or advanced, he left it to Basil to do all the work.

Keith and Rand returned, quite weary, and exhausted, but hopeful of the state of the Wireless Tower. They announced to everyone at dinner that the Tower's antenna was going to have to be replaced, very few things had to be repaired, but there was no way they could call the Union. The only way was with a large cruiser that could fight the strong currents around Oblivia, or a very strong motorboat. None of these were available, not even Basil owned a boat that could possibly do that. Keith mentioned briefly about the Union itself owning a pretty good boat for transport, but he deemed the idea hopeless.

After dinner, the same routine gone again. The adults (and boys) would huddle in the office to discuss plans. Nema begged her parents to attend the meeting, but Leanne shook her head and ushered her into the bedroom before joining everyone else. Basil and Ice seemed to be in the best of spirits, as they had said they were done with the plug-in for the Styler.

"We've managed to finish it today," Basil said confidently. "There are some bugs to it, but overall, it's stable. Conan managed to add other things that we saw from the Z.Z. Flyer, and it's much better than we anticipated it to be. But for now, we don't know how things will go with this program, since it's new. So we'll have to ask Ben to test the program. They have the latest model of the Styler, and we hopefully might plan to implement this in future Stylers as a new feature."

Ice handed out a card to Ben, and he successfully installed the program. The young Ranger noted the new little drop down list on the screen of his Styler labeled Sign Mode. He asked Basil more about this, and the young innovator was more than happy to explain how to use it.

"Draw a Sign in this middle," Basil instructed them. "And the emblem that calls the Pokemon will be projected on the ground. We should take this outside, though."

Without delay, they all gathered in the front porch, and Ben was asked to go. He found it strange, not using the capture Styler to go after Pokemon, but to draw shapes and summon Pokemon. There was only one Emblem on the database stored in his Styler, so he went ahead and gave it a try. He tried to be as precise as possible to the picture, and he could see Basil chuckling beside him for his meticulousness.

Once drawn, the Emblem on the ground glowed ominously, and everyone had to shield their eyes from the sudden flash. Once the light receded, they all lost their ability to breathe at the sight before them. Sparks showered everyone around the summoned Pokemon, and with its large purple cape and all, Raikou stood and gave a respectful nod to Ben.

Rand and Leanne were both appalled. Keith tried his best to be indifferent, but he was so full of shock and suspicion. The program was working quite well for something claimed to be done in a few hours. And such a feature was capable of summoning legendary Pokemon. This was most definitely a technological breakthrough! But how could it be so? The redhead was tied over what was so amiss about this, about Basil and Ice, about Raikou.

"I... I don't believe just what happened!" Rand stammered, his knees shaking. "Those things about the legends were true…"

"To be honest, I didn't entirely believe it myself," Leanne hung onto Rand's arm for support. "But now that Raikou has actually appeared, we weren't that far off."

"There are children's songs passed down in Oblivia, right?" Ice turned towards the blue haired woman, and she nodded.

"I believe there is one more thing for this phenomenon," Leanne continued. "A folk tale about a Hero who worked with Raikou and saved Oblivia. I think that the legend of Oblivia is something that may have actually happened in the past. In other words, there really was a Hero in Oblivia's past. The feelings of friendship the Hero has towards Pokemon were so strong and pure that modern people can't be compared to them. That's why Raikou helped the Hero."

"That's quite a farfetched story, being able to do that," Ben retorted. "They didn't even have Stylers in the past."

"This is only a guess," Basil piped up. "But maybe there was a person whose bonds with Pokemon were so amazingly strong, they didn't need a Styler. At least I think so. Our program may have restored the very deep bonds between humans and Pokemon."

"Perhaps," Keith joined. "But, I wonder if this might be the reason. Ben, a student I happen to know for a long time, happens to have the same pure, strong feelings of friendships for Pokemon that the ancient Hero had, a rather true definition of a Pokemon Ranger."

"Keith…" Ben muttered, puzzled but moved. He felt warm by the fact that his teacher would say something so praiseworthy. For a man who was one of the main people from the legendary Operation Brighton, hearing something so great towards a mere young Ranger like Ben from such people was a miracle.

"Maybe it's a little of both," Rand suggested. "In other words, we were able to call Raikou because of the combination of the program and the Strength of friendship that Ben already possessed."

"Well, with all the shock and excitement with the Sign Mode," Keith motioned for them to go back inside. "We'll have to discuss our plans for tomorrow."

Ben faced Raikou again, and let him go. The legendary Pokemon respectfully bowed before leaping down the hill and to the forests, leaving sparks wherever it stepped.

Once back in the office, Leanne began talking about the culture and connections Raikou had to the legends. Most notably, she mentioned about the very popular song that was sung in Renbow Island exclusively, probably because Raikou had appeared on Renbow Island in the distant past.

"For Great Raikou, it's one bound," Rand mused over the last line of the song. "Ben, you must have become so close to Raikou."

"Me?" Ben raised an eyebrow and shook his head. "No, we all worked together to capture it, so I don't think I am of any significance."

"Of course you are," Basil reassured his friend. "I'm sure you work really hard, and you want to help everyone. You want to save Summer, too, don't you?"

"I'm sure Raikou recognized your resolve to ally with Pokemon and fight those Pinchers," Keith added. "You should be honored to be the first to use this program and to summon a legendary."

"Th-Thank you…"

"Now then," Keith stood up. "We'll conclude with tomorrow's agenda. Rand and I, as usual, will be overlooking the repairs on the Wireless Tower. Leanne, Ice, and Basil should probably stay back to watch the base, and do more research on these legends. As for Ben…"

The redhead turned towards his student, who eagerly waited for the command.

"You'll be in action this time, Ben," the man said. "I want you to chase the Pinchers who've fled to Mitatonga Island. Even the gaps in the broken bridge... For Great Raikou... I'm not that much of a singer, but do you see what I'm trying to say? You may face great danger during this job. Understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"We'll all depart tomorrow. Dismissed."

* * *

><p>Nema couldn't sleep. She was restive, and she wanted morning to come so she could badger her father about what the grown-ups were talking about. She wanted to help so much, but they knew she was too young to know anything serious like this. Children were meant to know little about reality, and allowed to expand their imaginations as much as they could before being brought down to earth.<p>

She wasn't told that their house was going to be on fire, or that they moved to Basil's home. She was annoyed by the fact that they had meetings on the other side of the house. She wouldn't be able to eavesdrop on them. Most of all, she didn't appreciate that she was getting caught up in surprises every day. She was far from giving up on getting into the meetings after dinner. Hopefully, she would make her mother understand that she was important, too, and she had some right to know what was going on.

The little girl then heard footsteps shuffling out of the house, and she saw everyone standing out on the porch, while Ben stepped out to the driveway, his Styler glowing. Nema watched the entire scene unfold, and to her great excitement, she saw the legendary Raikou offer its services to Ben. Ben must be awesome!

She watched Ben let Raikou go, and it jumped away into the jungle. Nema then rolled over back under her covers, and she sang a small song to herself to help her sleep. She had learned the song from Ralph on her frequent visits to Cocona Village. The song was simple, but was endearing to every young child in Oblivia.

_A deep, deep valley blocks the way,_

_If you can cross, go ahead I say._

_The scary valley likes to brag,_

_"No one can cross my rocky crags!"_

_What nonsense speaks this silly valley?_

_For Great Raikou, it's one bound._

_Hero on its back, just one bound..._

* * *

><p>Ben woke up early this time, thanks to Koa feeling the need to shock him awake when the alarm clock was ignored a third time. The Ranger sent a glare towards the Pichu, but it did a shrug-like gesture, and waited patiently for him to get dressed. They ascended towards the kitchen where Basil and Leanne were cooking. Rand and Keith were engrossed in their dinners, eating as fast as possible so they could leave soon. Ice sat back, reading the newspaper. In contrary to the civilians in the general area, the press from Sophian Island had caught wind of the Pinchers' attacks and now the loss of the Wireless Tower was the big story in replacement for the largest Lumineon that had been caught this week.<p>

Nema, the fastest eater of them all, bounded to Ben, her eyes beaming.

"Ben! You're up earlier!"

"Yeah," the Ranger said briefly and looked sideways to Koa, who gave a smug smile. Since when could a Pichu be not-so-adorable?

"Ah, you're up," Leanne waved to him. "Please, take a seat. We've got your breakfast ready."

"Thank you," Ben nodded and slid into his seat, with Pichu taking its place on the table next to his plate. He readily ate his breakfast, or, in Nema's opinion, he wolfed the entire thing down in less than one bite. Other than the exaggeration, Ben ate fast enough to catch up to his teacher and Rand.

After they returned the plates to Basil, everyone gathered outside to see the Rangers off. Leanne gave her husband a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. A bit sappy, she knew, but she had to do it every day. The man was a Ranger, and just on any day at a moment's notice, he could be risking his life. More importantly, Ben was off on a big mission. The boy ought to be cautious, if he's new here…

"There are times you have to act, even though you know it's reckless," she told him and eyed Rand with a sly glint in her eyes. "Isn't that right, dear?"

The dark Ranger was suddenly bashful, and he sputtered nonsense about how he was always careful. Basil and Ice joined Nema to laugh at the spectacle of teasing parents, and Ben was uncertain as to whether or not he would be like that if he ever got married. Keith then gave him a bit of advice before leaving.

"What Leanne said was correct," the redhead said. "That's only at a certain moment. Those times don't come that often."

"Thank you."

"Be careful, all right, Ben?" Basil called to his dear friend. Ben looked back and grinned.

"Right."

Just like the night before, he summoned Raikou. Everyone was still surprised that such a feat could be possible. Rand and Leanne were very fidgety in Raikou's presence, and Nema was very happy to see it not from afar. Keith bore a very impressed look on his face, confident that his student was going to do well. Ben jumped onto the Pokemon's back. Koa was very excited about riding on a legendary electric Pokemon, and it chose to sit on the top of Raikou's head, hanging on tightly to the ears.

Ben looked back to the party, suddenly, at the speed of light, he zipped down the hill on Raikou's back, and was not to be seen for the rest of the day. Rand and Keith were next to leave, and they took Basil and Ice's motorcycles to the site and were gone as well. Leanne, Ice, Nema, and Basil were left in the summer house. Leanne stared wistfully at the empty driveway, her mind still processing that whatever she had known by books was true…

"If the legend of the Hero is something that really happened," She muttered. "You should be able to call other Pokemon besides Raikou. And..."

Nema was the only one listening to her mother.

"And what, Mom?"

"In Oblivia, there are many other tales and legends. Perhaps they are too more than made-up stories…"

Basil watched Nema and Leanne talk about what had happened, and looked at Ice. The blue haired man understood, and he headed back into the summer house in the direction of the even lower basement.

* * *

><p>Ben was never one to get motion sick. After hanging around with Summer for years, and knowing full well about her penchant for birds and flying, he had gone through enough of her daredevil maneuvers and tricks. But riding on Raikou at the speed of light was very nerve wracking, and he could feel both a headache and a stomach ache coming on after a mile of running on uneven terrain.<p>

Much to his relief, Raikou skidded to a stop, and he lurched forward, burying his face in the yellow fur. Koa had climbed down to his level and was squeaking worriedly if its friend was all right. Of course, he wasn't able to answer, let alone understand whatever the Pichu was saying. The next that followed was something he didn't expect at all.

"Oh! The Hero of Oblivia!" A familiar voice came from beside him. "The Hero who saved Oblivia when it was in a heap o' trouble...?"

"Ugh…" Ben pushed himself up, and much to his dread, he saw Booker through his very bleary vision. That motion sickness wasn't going away at all… Booker, on the other hand, was surprised.

"Why, it's Ben, ain't it? I thought I'd wandered into the world of the legend of Oblivia! I have no clue 'bout what's going on, but you're lookin' mighty sharp!"

"Yeah…" Ben said blearily. "Must… go… Mita… tonga…"

"Oh, you wanna get to Mitatonga Island? We're not done with the bridge yet… Now if Nick can hurry back already…"

Ben didn't hear anything after as Raikou decided to take action itself. The electric tiger launched into the air, and Ben clung onto the tiger's fur as for his life. He didn't dare look, but he could feel his stomach pound and lurch at every time Raikou landed on a part of the bridge. The dangerous creaking of the wood terrified him, and he grasped tightly to the large Pokemon, hoping this would all be over.

Finally the long wait ended, and Ben was a complete wreck at the bridge. He didn't even notice the flock of very surprised and excited villagers who began gathering at the sight of Raikou. He was too busy trying to collect himself and getting off the tiger without hurling (though he should probably try that later). The crowd wasn't any good.

"Goodness, what a shock!"

"It's like the Hero of Oblivia has risen again."

"Oh, wow... It's that... That thing!"

Ben leaned on Raikou, and it stayed still. Koa was on his shoulder, squeaking some "words" of comfort, but this was unbearable. He could hear someone yelling his name as he gingerly made his way towards the village, and he finally saw nothing.

* * *

><p>The cave-like room was illuminated by a green sphere that had come out of nowhere in the middle of the room. The walls of the strange orb disintegrated, and black boots stepped out onto the familiar floor. Kate dusted the dirt off her sleeves and she laid her sword that had been strapped to her back onto the nearest table. She hadn't used it at all during the previous hours, and she prided herself on the fact on her lack of effort to complete her own mission.<p>

Ice opened the vault to the room soundly, and came cantering down the stairs. Kate didn't try to turn around to look at him, and rather, she helped herself to something warm that Basil had kept heated for her.

The blue haired man who came approached her with some caution.

"I take it that you did something new?"

"Most likely," Kate answered. "I managed to beat the first Temple oracle today. Whatever Ed decrypted, everything seems to be following the same timeline, as long as Celebi consistently summons one of us to go back."

"And how was it? The mission?"

"Quick and easy." She drawled. "I am beginning to wonder if I should give up on this."

"But you aren't going to."

"No, I'm not."

Ice could little but accept Kate's resolution. She could easily go back and reclaim her name, but some reason, she decided to stay here. Her reasons were rather ridiculous, in his opinion, but he knew that he wasn't the man who should convince to return. That man would end up taking a while to get around to it, but he was the better option.

"However," Kate added as she handed off her coat to a Gabite, who walked off to the closets. "There was some misunderstanding about the time travel."

"What happened?"

"Ravio. He told me that Ben had gotten mixed up in the issue. Celebi had mistakenly taken him back twice already, but Ravio tells it to send the boy back."

"Well, knowing Ben, he's a pretty noticeable guy, considering what happened to him. Besides, if you don't want to do this, then why don't you get Ben to do it? He should use these little missions as training. We've given him the Sign Mode, so he should have time to use the Sign mode."

Kate stared at Ice as if he had grown two heads.

"You do realize that would mean, do you?"

* * *

><p>Ben came to in a few hours, and he found himself in a room, very fitting for a hospital. Wait, this was Oblivia, there shouldn't be any major hospitals here. He lifted himself out of bed, and tried to get up. Black dots filled his vision, but overall, he seemed okay.<p>

"Oh, Ben!" A voice caught him from behind, and the ranger spun around to see the least likely person. A rather normal, nondescript man, with brown hair, and dressed in the uniform of Operators back in the Union… [8]

"Ben?" The man raised an eyebrow, hoping the younger boy hadn't lost his memory as well. "It's me, Murph, Chairman of the Ranger Union?"

It took a while for the Ranger to realize what was going on, and he finally gasped and took a mad dash to the door. Murph, however, was already standing in his way, wondering if his subordinate had gone insane.

"Ben! It's okay! Sit down! You need a break!"

"But-"

"SIT!"

The boy did as he was told (You don't defy the chairman. Ever), and he waited as Murph handed him a glass of water. Little did Ben realize that the water was actually some strange mixture of salt and ginger. The boy gulped too quickly at the sudden taste, and he choked pretty hard, not that Murph slapping him in the back did him any good.

Once the Ranger was settled down, Murph eyed the boy cautiously because if Ben really was insane, they'd have to call someone over to restrain him.

"Now then," Murph smiled. "Now that you're all better, I've gotta explain why I'm here!"

"Wait," Ben shook his head. "I'm still in Oblivia?"

"Of course you are, silly! You're just in a local clinic. You looked really woozy when you came in. It was hard getting to you…"

"That's… that's it?" Ben was surprised at how short Murph's story was, and the Chairman became uneasy.

"Well, there's the part that you came in on a Raikou, and now people were trying to get in here to ask you things. Luckily, I drove them away, so coast is clear."

"Oh. Sorry, sir."

"You don't have to say that," Murph sighed. "Although, I'd advise you to not go around with legendaries in plain sight. People will talk."

"Okay… Can't be helped, though…" Ben shrugged. "You know, there's this sto-"

"A long time ago, on a certain island of Oblivia, there was a hero," Murph recited. "Brilliant emerging the Emblem, the Hero of Oblivia worked together with legendary Pokemon to bring peace to Oblivia. Happily ever after."

Ben stared at his superior as if he had been the one to go insane, and Murph shrugged.

"Got it from the bunch of people who tried to storm the clinic to see you. Now that I think of it... Here on Mitatonga, the Hero and the Great Entei are the main characters in the old tale. I've heard that the Pokemon in the story varies from island to island."

"Well, I guess it must be a pretty popular story to tell, then."

"That's kinda cool, right, Ben?"

The Ranger was about to agree when he finally realized the most important question he should have asked earlier.

"Speaking of which, Murph. How did you get here?"

The Chairman stiffened uncomfortably, and began to twiddle his thumbs.

"Well, about that…"

Meanwhile, back in Almia, Rhythmi received a note of a leave of absence from the Chairman. Needless to say, she had ripped the note to shreds and vowed to burn his office if he comes back. She probably tore apart said office when Linda told her that the Union's large boat had gone missing with the Chairman.

* * *

><p><strong>NOTES:<strong>

[1] Basil really acts like a housewife… just noticing

[2] For those who might have ignored my warning to read Shadows of Almia first before reading Tracks of Light. Ben is still shaken from his unpleasant childhood experience as a test subject which gave him enhanced abilities. This experiment killed countless Pokemon and people, particularly a quarter of his classmates from the Academy. Summer usually stays near him sometimes to make sure he doesn't get too swept up in survivor's guilt and hurt himself.

[3] I'm painfully sorry if Basil as an OC is getting too much spotlight and Nema is completely out of the picture. I know how awesome she was when she does all the upgrades for you, but she is considerably younger than you (The player is probably 14-15 and Nema is 9-10). By average standards, I can't find her "genius" plausible at such an age, because in this rendition, if Nema really was a genius that good, she could have easily been bombarded by tech companies like Basil's who beg for her to join their ranks. Nema will remain important to the story, but her abilities will be downplayed slightly.

[4] Once again on my argument on more anachronism in the game. In the original, Nema goes and makes adjustments in just a few minutes from scratch, so I had to make significant changes to make this sound more real. Just remember that Kate is involved in this Signs thing already.

[5] So many footnotes! I made Rand's last name to be the Saturdays. If you know your Cartoon Network shows, you'd probably know who I'm alluding to.

[6] Koa - I've always wanted Ukulele Pichu to have a special name, especially since it's going to become a permanent partner for Ben in the future. Also there's so many Pichu, and it's hard to distinguish Ukulele Pichu sometimes. Ukulele apparently means "the gift that came here" in Hawaiian. Well, I considered a name related to "gift," but then I learned that one of the most expensive and valuable ukulele are made of Acacia Koa, a Plant native to Hawaii. Koa in Hawaiian means "brave, fearless, warrior." How Ben learned the word will remain unknown.

[7] I find the concept of food in the Pokemon world confusing and interesting. I'm just going to stick to the belief that there are real life animals out there, but Pokemon are enhanced versions of these animals, so we would have pigs, but Grumpigs would be a more advanced species of pigs.

[8] In this version, Murph is a bit more badass than he was back in the games. He's actually has a better body shape, and he's pretty normal and not very fat. He's just very normal, sometimes people forget him sometimes. However, ever since he succeeded Erma as the chairman of the Union, he's a bit more important and people pay attention to him.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** _Olympics has come up, and it is absolutely beautiful. A pretty quick update, like I probably mentioned before._


	11. All to Ashes

**Tracks of Light**

**Chapter 11 – All to Ashes**

* * *

><p>Murph was a reliable guy. Just sometimes one has to wonder why he made such strange decisions, perhaps risky ones. Ben wasn't sure if Murph was making a good or bad decision.<p>

Under Murph's orders, the Ranger was forced to stay at the clinic overnight, since he was still dizzy and he had no reason to go investigate in the dark. He spent the next few hours sulking in the bed, but he was much better when Murph arrived with dinner and a certain ukulele wielding Pichu. His eyes brightened at the sight of the Pokemon, and he stretched his arms out to welcome Koa into his arms.

"Koa!" he laughed with his partner. "I was wondering where you were!"

"Koa?" Murph was skeptical at first, but he smiled when he realized what the Pokemon meant to Ben. So the boy finally got a partner of his own now... He gave Ben his food, and refused to tell the boy why he came.

Once Ben was fit to leave, the two of them left the clinic, and wandered about the town for the early morning. Murph had arrived he day before, and had taken the time to look around the place and talk with the civilians. Somehow, he was able to get some much information in one evening. That was he chairman for Ben.

"As you can see, these buildings are built in a slanting cliff," Murph pointed while they were on the edge of town. "That's why this place is called Tilt Village. Interesting, isn't it?"

Ben agreed, and they approached the dock. The harbor was always the earliest to open, and they could see sailors and Pokemon hefting imported goods and other items. The place reminded Ben of Pueltown back in Almia, but on a much smaller scale.

Murph then showed him the Union, a fairly large ship that should have been the beauty of the sea fifty years ago. It was a traditional rigged ship, the masts currently pulled back at the moment. Amazing as it was, Ben had to ask Murph why he even came here.

"Why did I ride a boat clear out here?" Murph chuckled nervously. "Actually, I have an important message for you from Prof. Hastings. He managed to find something that could be useful."

"Well, what did he find?"

"The Ranger Union has been working on this splurge of those Pincher's worldwide," Murph's voice suddenly became grave and serious while the fog didn't seem to cease thickening. "Kellyn and many others have obtained some information, and don't worry, Keith should know this (or he must have figured it all out). Extremely suspicious characters have been spotted at libraries throughout various regions."

"Everywhere?" Ben remembered what Murph told him earlier. "But you said they were beginning to concentrate in Oblivia."

"Our sources turned out to be wrong," the Chairman shook his head. "Excuse our mistakes. However, this is the most important part. Apparently, they want to know something about Oblivia's ancient legends. Hastings and I suspect these Pinchers will want this book."

"A book...?" Ben muttered.

"A book about Oblivia's legends that the group may be interested in is actually not at a library but on Mitatonga Island in Oblivia," Murph said in a lower voice. "The Pinchers shouldn't be aware of this. They could notice at any moment, however, so we must hurry and get the book before they do."

"Well, okay," Ben shrugged. "What's it called?"

"The book is 'Legends of the Oblivia Region,' by Amun," Murph recited. "This guy spent his entire life writing the only copy of his research report. Amun passed away a long time ago, but his mansion is still here on Mitatonga Island. We will head out there after noon. Speaking of which..."

Murph turned his attention back on his ship, and Ben could only gape at what he had not noticed before. There was a major hole in the hull of the Union.

"We're going to have to use that Wireless Tower here to call the Ranger Union," Murph sighed. "I guess I'm no good with ships."

Ben shot back a surprised look at the man. He came here all by himself on boat?

"Well..." Ben started hesitantly, as he tried to explain what had happened in Oblivia since his arrival. Murph nearly lost his head at the news.

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" Did someone spill juice on the Wireless Tower?" Murph gawked at the Ranger. "So you haven't been making regular contact with the Union? Prof. Hastings is probably worried. I hope he thinks no news is good news."

Ben was left wondering how long it took for Ben to come sailing here to Oblivia to not know that neither of the Rangers had been making regular calls back to the Union.

"Well, I guess it can't be helped," Murph sighed in discontent. "It would be nice to have the Ranger Union's advice, but with my experience, and all of us working together, we'll win somehow, right?"

"Yeah," Ben began to let his mind drift. All of them working, huh...? Summer... Murph could see the gloomy fog that swelled up into his eyes, and the boy's superior understood him too well. Usually, the chairman would use this as a chance to tease him, but now this wasn't the time. He placed a reassuring hand on Ben's shoulder, and the Ranger looked up at him.

"Worried? About Summer?"

Ben's cheeks turned a light shade of pink, and he turned his head, hoping that Murph hadn't seen that. Instead, he was given sympathetic pats on the back.

"She'll be okay," Murph told him decisively. "A strong-willed girl like her will definitely be fine. Even if she's imprisoned, she's probably finding a lot of information for us. She is a Pokemon Ranger, after all!"

The small words set Ben in a more cheerful demeanor as they looked around Tilt Village. Murph kept Ben going by telling him that they might find a clue about Summer while looking for Amun's mansion.

The next place they happened to stop by was a fair-sized circus tent. The show this time was a free walk-in performance, so Ben was able to look inside. A majority of the people there were children, some with Pokemon, and some without. There were several adults, most likely parents, who sat in the back of the tent, amused and watchful of the kids. Ben was about to turn and go on to the next place, but Murph dragged him into the circus tent to see the show.

"It's a magic show!" Murph reasoned. "We might be able to get some info, so let's watch for a moment!"

Ben was sure that the Chairman only wanted to see a magic show for his own benefits, not for the sake of the mission. The man sure gets sidetracked very easily…

The magician up front had just finished a trick followed by applause. He bowed repeatedly to everyone in all directions, his hands outstretched, a staff in his hands. He was a short stubby man dressed in dark purple robes and a yellow cravat (God knows why he chose such a color scheme). He looked very old-fashioned, with a large top hat, and orange-gray sideburns framing his face (Ben couldn't remember anyone other than Hastings having sideburns).

"Nothing up my sleeve but a hello!" The man grinned toothily. "Welcome to my miraculous magic show! I, Hocus, will be your guide to a mysterious world."

Ben really wanted to leave, but Murph was much stronger than he was, so he was wrenched onto a bench. Koa, who was sitting on his shoulder, squeaked as it nearly flew off its partner's shoulders. All eyes were now trained on the three of them. Ben couldn't move a muscle.

"What do we have here? Some new audience members?" Hocus made advantage of their commotion. "Well, since we have new guests, let's ask one of them to volunteer."

Everyone agreed readily to the magician, much to Ben's dismay. He really shouldn't be here, watching people and magic tricks. Hocus seemed to relish the sight of the newcomers, and he sauntered down between the aisles to see them. He observed all of them, particularly Koa, and he clapped his hands at his decision.

"How about... The darling little Pichu with the ukulele on its back?" He pointed at the mouse on Ben's shoulder. "Come here!"

Koa hopped off of his shoulder without even asking Ben about it, and it followed Hocus up to the front of the tent, where all the kids pointed and awed at the adorable little Pokemon. Some of them noted how strange it was for carrying a little instrument.

The magician led the little Pokemon onto the pedestal, and Ben shifted uneasily about Koa's safety.

"Well, then, are you ready?" Hocus was still beaming, like any entertainer. "Eins, zwei, drei! Voila!" [1]

With a sweep of his magic staff, Hocus conjured a small puff of pink and purple smoke to cover Koa. He turned his staff in a circular like motion about the pedestal, and the smoke cleared in swirls. However, the Pichu was no longer sitting on the pedestal. Hocus even showed that there was really nothing there by swinging his cane and hands through the space where Koa should have been standing. He then swung his staff forward, and out of the red orb that rested upon the staff came more puffs of smoke that made impossible shapes in the air, like famous sculptures, flowers, and Pokemon. The children were enamored by the brilliant colors of his work, and anticipated the next thing that would follow. Ben was thoroughly unsettled, very scared about where Koa had gone. He couldn't feel his partner's presence anywhere, and this was no good sign.

"So, my children," Hocus smiled. "Where is that little Pichu?"

The children shouted improbable answers, but Hocus shook his head and pointed his staff right at Ben. Murph turned to the boy, and jumped in fright. The children were surprised, but moments later, they cheered and applauded the magician. Koa was back on Ben's shoulder, as if nothing had happened to it. Ben froze at the sudden feeling of his partner's feet resting on his shoulder, and he sighed, realizing he had been tricked.

Hocus dismissed the kids after a few more classic magic tricks, and the tent was empty as fast as it had been filled. Ben and Murph were about to leave when they came across a familiar man at the entrance. The newcomer was only paying attention to Hocus himself.

"With this kind of commotion, it could only be Hocus." Edward smiled. "You must have had a few more audience members than usual."

"Hi, Edward," Hocus grinned cheekily. "Nothing up my sleeve but a hello! Today, I had some Pokemon Rangers in the audience. They're right next to you over there."

The doctor looked at the three at the tent entrance, most notably Ben. He gave a respectful nod of the head, and shook hands with Ben again, as if they had not met before.

"Well, well, Rangers," The elderly man greeted them with a smooth voice. "We meet again. Are you injured?"

"Ben," Murph looked at his subordinate worriedly. "Do you know this person?"

"Um… yes…" Ben said hesitantly. "But I only met him once…"

"Excuse me, let me introduce myself," The man bowed courteously. "My name is Edward, a doctor."

"Oh no, excuse me," Murph hastily bowed back. "Let me introduce myself as well. I'm Murphy Nolan from the Ranger Union. Please to be of your acquaintance." [2]

"Murphy?" Edward's eyebrows arched up. "You mean the Chairman of the Ranger Union? What brings such an important person like yourself to Oblivia?"

"We're here to ask the people around here about some historical facts," Murph stated, his demeanor smoothening. "I was hoping I'd learn more about Amun, the famed archaeologist."

"Ah, wait," Ben realized something. "Since you're a doctor, Edward, you might know if any of your patients have heard of that name. Is that correct?"

"Amun..." Edward stroked his beard. "He researched legends of the Oblivia region, you say? At the very least, none of my patients have that name. I regret I cannot be more helpful, Ben."

"Oh…" Ben nodded in understanding. "I'm sorry to have caused you trouble."

"Although," Edward seemed to recall. "Elderly people who have always lived in Tilt village may have known Amun, but I only started visiting these islands a few years ago. So I might have arrived after Amun passed away…"

The man checked his watch, and frowned slightly. He gave an apologetic look to the Rangers as he excused himself.

"I have to examine some elderly people, so I must go," He explained. "But, that being said, I am an elderly person myself. If you'll excuse me."

The doctor hurried out of the tent, and Hocus had already gone backstage to do something else, leaving the Rangers and Pichu by themselves.

"Let's go to the lower part of the village again," Murph suggested. "There may be an older person who knew Amun."

* * *

><p>As a woman who never stuck to the rules of Basil's house, Kate could wake up whenever she wanted, and she could go to bed whenever she wanted. This only meant that she spent more days sleep and more nights awake. For today, she had the misfortune to only get a few hours of sleep this day, and she woke up in the late noon by the clamor of her partners who stayed in the lower floors of the house.<p>

Her Staravia was the only thing that kept everyone else in control, pecking mercilessly at the other Pokemon's faces, but some of them didn't want to stop. Only when Kate arrived did they all stop what they were doing, and they came forth quietly, realizing their guilt. The Ex-Ranger didn't stop to scold them, which didn't help at all.

She slid into her seat before the monitors, and scanned through things that had happened the day before. The woman was interested in the recent happenings on the island, now that the Pinchers were on the move. She wasn't sure about what they were planning on doing, since they were very distant from the connections she had back in Orre, and she really hoped that in good time she'll be able to plant someone to feed information to her. If she could.

Kate had been observing the people around the house for a while, most particularly, Ben. She remembered the kid when he was still a freshman back at the Academy, and she was traveling around Almia to fight Team Dim Sun. The boy was very kind, and she could see that he was definitely Pokemon Ranger material. But then Team Dim Sun decided to hit too close to home, and the boy became one of their guinea pigs for experiments that shouldn't have been done at all. He was the first to survive Project Black Water, and he came out safe, even achieving what he had wanted to be in the first place. She couldn't be any more proud of Ben than she already was.

But he impressed her more than he should have. As per her request, she instructed Basil to give Ben the program to test it out. She wanted to see if the boy could summon a legendary Pokemon, as the situation demanded, Raikou. According to her younger brother, the boy succeeded on the first try, and Kate was intrigued. Basil and Ice had developed the Sign Mode a while ago, and they had collected countless amounts of information to find the recorded Emblems of Pokemon. For Kate, she was able to summon common Pokemon, but never was she able to summon legendaries. For Ben to have done something that great was a complete breakthrough for the three of them. Perhaps he was the more fit Ranger to go…

Kate paused on that thought. She shouldn't let him go on those tasks. If she asked Basil and Ice to send him on such missions, he'd question why, and they'd end up having to tell the entire story. Even worse, Keith was with them in this house. She couldn't see him yet, not when she's straighten things out, and she could fulfill that promise.

The Ex-Ranger continued to ponder over her own decisions as something most interesting appeared on her monitor. She looked up at her screen, and without delay, she tumbled out of her chair and called for Gabite. The Dragon Pokemon tossed her a black coat, which she coat deftly on her way out. She scribbled a small note for Ice and Basil in case they wondered where she went, and she headed out towards the back through the garage to avoid being seen.

* * *

><p>"Amun?" An old hermit raised an eyebrow. "I might've heard of the name. I might not have. If you're talking about the Old mansion with all the books, it's in the outskirts to the north of the village. A recluse who never gave his name might have lived there, or he might not have... But, that mansion... It's haunted!"<p>

"Th-Thanks…" Ben backed away from the man, and joined Murph again on the main road. He told the chief what he had gathered from the man's garble. Murph shrugged, although he was turning pale.

"He mentioned a lot of books," Ben suggested. "Maybe that's Amun's house."

"Right…" Murph sighed. "To be honest, I'm terrified, but shall we go to the old mansion now?"

"The sun's still up," Ben pointed at the early noon. "We should get there in no time."

As the old man had said, there was a mansion situated at the slope of the mountain ways away from Mitatonga Island. That, and then there was a nearly impassable blockade of Dusclops lurking around the place. Ben was sure he nearly was done for with Murph stumbling about, but they all made it through just fine.

Now they made it to the large brass gates of the manor. Murph pulled vigorously at it for a moment, but the metal chains didn't budge.

"That's a pretty sturdy lock," the Chief sighed. "Only one course of action here."

He eyed Ben with a knowing glint in his eyes, and the Ranger took the tacit command. Koa obediently leapt to Murph's arms while Ben backed up along the dirt path that led to the gates. Time to let loose.

A large amount of fearsome invisible aura made both Murph and Koa cringe in fright. Ben took the time to trod his feet into the ground, and bent down as if getting ready to race. Without any warning, he jumped forward, charging at the metal gates with no restraints. The results were legendary, and the sound made all the birds in the jungle around them flee.

The two walked into the abandoned grounds, hoping they weren't too loud. Their feet walked over the untouched cobblestone laid in the front yard. The lawn was overgrown with weeds and jungle grasses that were wild in their own right. And that was only the lawn.

The building before them was huge. To think that only one person might have lived here! A majority of the house was intact, the only things that were out of place were the overgrowth of plants, some broken windows on lower floors, and chipped paint and cracked stone.

They walked up to the front porch and eyed the intricate designs of unintelligible words arched over the door. Murph let out a low whistle, impressed by the handiwork of the wood carved door.

"I didn't think it would be such a big mansion," he looked back at the lawn. "Well, let's go in, then. It sure is scary, though..."

The man took a deep breath and braced himself for the next thing as they entered the foyer. Naturally, no one was here, but the place had been overrun by plants, old age, and perhaps Pokemon.

"Is anyone there?" Murph called out to no one. "I'd be happier if there wasn't."

"I wouldn't be surprised," Ben quipped as he walked into the mansion. "I remember back at the Academy that Ghost Pokemon liked dark and uninhabited places like this. Abandoned buildings are their favorites."

Just then, the door Ben left open slammed itself shut behind them, and all of them jumped in fright. Ben instinctively took out his tonfas while Koa his in his yellow scarf. Murph immediately launched into hysterics and he rushed to head for the door. He frantically pulled at the doorknob, but he soon had to realize they were locked in.

"It won't open!" he cried despondently. "This is bad..."

Ben shrugged and pointed at the stairs ahead of them. "So I guess we have no other option but to go deeper?"

Murph shuddered at the thought of encountering anything spooky, but he agreed. "F-for now, let's look for the book. The title was 'Legends of the Oblivia Region.'"

Ben complied and went ahead with Koa. He was beginning to wonder who was most mature out of the two of them, and how murph managed to stay this way even after he took office as the Chairman of the Pokemon Ranger Union. He decided to go for the stairs when heard a small whimper from both Murph and Koa. Ben looked ahead, and to his disbelief, she saw a Mismagius peeking from around a door ahead. He quickly followed after it, with Murph trailing behind.

They burst into an empty room, only to find nothing. Defeated, they retreated back to the main entrance again. Ben decided to go ahead to the door beside them into a long corridor, so Murph resorted to hiding behind the Ranger for the rest of the trip. The chief jumped when at the slightest noise other than his own. One time, there was a commotion in the nearest adjacent hallway, he nearly suffocated Ben in response.

"I heard a sound for over there..." He said while shivering. "This time it's a ghost for sure!"

Ben shook his head at his superior's lack of a backbone and went ahead to see for himself. He went up against the nearest wall to make himself scarce and inched forward. He looked around the corner, and he saw just the last thing he wanted: Pinchers. Koa stiffened on his shoulder, and he stepped back a bit to make sure they wouldn't be able to see him. The shiny lenses of his goggles could easily reflect the tiniest bit of light in this dark hallway.

There were only two Pinchers, but Ben could suspect that there were more around the mansion. The Pinchers were still unable to notice anything, other than the door ahead of then, and with a quick nod to each other, they walked into the next room. Soon after, a Dusknoir flew by, and it conjured a cabinet in front of the door before cackling mischievously.

"We're you able to see anyone before the entrance was blocked?" Murph whispered to him, since he wasn't brave enough to look. "Could it be a real ghost?!"

"No," Ben looked back. "There were Pinchers."

"Pinchers?" Murph slowly morphed back into the competent person he was supposed to be. "Well, that means our time has been cut short. Judging from the fact that those guys weren't yelling and screaming in that room earlier, that must be the way through. But we can't go smashing the cabinet up like we did with the gate. You're going to need to find a Pokemon that will move it silently as possible."

Then the man turned into a simpering mess, much to Ben's chagrin, and they continued their way in the mansion. They encountered the common Gastly that floated precariously in the hallways, and perhaps a Houndoom that yawned and napped in the corner. However, they weren't prepared for what would happen in the next moment.

They entered a very much intact dining room, where everything was set as if age hadn't damaged the items on the table yet. Everything was nice and polished, and upon inspection, Murph could see his own reflection when he came over to see it.

"It's so creepy..." He commented. "I think my knees are going to start knocking together..."

"Um, Murph," Ben tried to remind the man. "If this was a horror movie, the plates would come flying at us. This is just a mission."

"Well, it could happen," Murph shot back.

"Well," Ben had enough of Murph's panic attacks. "That would be called... A poltergeist phenomenon, right?"

Ben could see Murph's face go pale at the mention of it, and the man was shaking and trembling even more. The Ranger couldn't see why, though… He shrugged it as if the man had no guts whatsoever at this point.

"But that stuff is all made to look that way with special effects," He explained. "If a poltergeist really exists, I'd like to see it show its face."

Murph really looked like he was about to lose consciousness, and even worse, Koa was very jumpy, and it jumped hopping on his shoulder, pointing at the table behind Ben. Only when he turned around did he realize that what he said was just jinxing their situation.

The plates had begun to rise to the air, with no one holding it or pulling it up by strings. Ben swallowed nervously, while Murph was hysterical. Quickly, Ben made a dash for the door, grabbing Murph by the sleeves and ran for his life. Koa squeaked incoherently and clung to his clothes while he made a mad sprint into the hallway, dropped Murph, and shut the door behind him. Just after, he could hear the deafening sound of several plates smashing into the wooden door. Murph was crying for once, and he fled like a madman.

"The plates were floating!" He cried. "I can't take it anymore! This place is way too creepy!"

Then just soon, the man didn't realize that he was walking on thin air, and plunged into the dark below. Ben, in shock, tried to run to see where his superior had fallen, but he was deterred a small portion of the floor crumbling away under his weight when he approached the large hole in the hallway. He could hear a sickening thud at the bottom of that very dark pit, but he heard no sound. Was Murph even alive at this point?

Koa curled over his shoulder, worried for the man's safety, and Ben backed away from the place. He turned round, and saw a stray Mismagius. He quickly saw this as his chance to get a Pokemon and finish this very scary mission, and he attempted to capture it, but for some reason, he couldn't do anything, even while the said Mismagius didn't try to attack the Capture Disc.

He gave up, and sent a glare in the Ghost Pokemon's direction, but the Mismagius didn't move an inch. He began walking back to the cabinet in the hopes of finding another Pokemon to help him, but he turned around to find that the Mismagius was following him, as if he had already captured it. He sent a wary look to the Pokemon, and continued walking.

He and Koa made it back to the cabinet, staring at it despondently as if it had done them wrong, but the Mismagius who accompanied them thought differently. Its eyes glowed, and in a moment, the furniture was out of their way. Ben and Koa gaped at how fast things went, and looked back at the mysterious Mismagius. The purple Pokemon gave a faint nod before teleporting away to another place in the mansion. Ben could have thought more about this, but his mind was set on getting out of this mansion as soon as possible.

They found themselves in a large library, full of books and records. Ben could believe that Amun must have been a very accomplished reader, and he loved classic literature, since he recognized some of the titles from his reading list back in the Academy. He then saw one book that he remembered reading, and he wanted to see how old it was, so he pulled it out.

Most coincidentally, the book caused the shelves to part in the middle of the room, revealing a new passage to another floor lower than this one. Ben and Koa exchanged looks before going in, their eyes scanning the dark atmosphere ahead of them. They could only prepare for the worst. And speaking of worst, in just a few steps, they tripped over something soft. Ben touched whatever it was, and heard a very small groan. Without even thinking, he spoke of the first thing that came into his mind.

"Murph!" He whispered harshly. "Wake up! Is that you?!"

"…Ergmmm…." Murph groaned, and stirred awake. "Ben…?"

"You're okay!" Ben sighed in relief. "I thought you got hurt real badly."

"What?" The chief sprung to his feet, and then looked around him. "Why did I pop out of here? Where is she?!"

"She?" Ben's voice peaked in curiosity.

"I'm not really sure myself," Murph shrugged. "After I fell through the hole in the floor, I landed on someone. I couldn't tell who that person was, since they didn't say much, other than my name. Although, with that, I was sure it was a woman."

"Why would anyone know you?" Ben questioned him. "All I see here are Pinchers."

"It could be a Pincher," The man said. "I am the chief, so those guys would know my name… Anyways, if that was a Pincher, we should move on. Can't let those guys get ahead of us, right?"

They proceeded through the passageway, and down the stairs. As they expected, there were a small number of Pinchers at the bottom floor. One of them stepped on the creaky step on the stairs, catching the Pinchers' attention. One of them looked up, but it was so dark, she couldn't see a thing.

"That's weird..." The woman dismissed the commotion. "What was that noise just now?"

"It wasn't anything," one of the others in the group shrugged. "Let's hurry back to the leader."

Ben exercised caution while he descended the stairs. He couldn't fight in the dark (he never developed any night vision), so he crept as quietly as he could. Koa understood what Ben wanted to do, so it stayed put and didn't move a muscle. Unfortunately, Murph didn't get the agenda, and he went tumbling out onto the stairs, catching Ben and Koa into the fray. The Pinchers were alarmed by the mess, and they either gave gasps of horror or irritated snarls.

"Pkmn Rangers!"

Ben had to get down to action, as much as he hated being unable to see. He crawled out from under Murph (the man was very heavy), and he came charging into the group. He proceeded to punch one of them in the gut, and caught another off guard by scissoring his legs. The Ranger rolled to the side and ran over another one. The Pinchers couldn't see much either, but they were terrified that something was already beating up their ranks without batting an eye.

Once Ben had managed to take out most of them, one of the Pinchers was finally sensible enough to take out a flashlight. The Ranger dove at the woman, and seized the flashlight. He scanned the room quickly, hoping not to see any stray Pincher who could run in and catch him off guard. No one. Good.

Murph came to his senses, and he joined Ben as the boy was interrogating the only conscious man in the room. He was too terrified of Ben to even move. Murph had thought that they had sent more competent people for things like this, but this time, these guys were only easy recruits. He wanted to accuse them quickly for making a hole in the floor where he feel and knocked himself out, but that was nowhere near plausible. The mansion was old, there must have been some damage done by Pokemon living around here.

"What are you two doing here?" Ben's voice sliced through the air like a knife. "What could you possibly need?"

"The only reason we came to Amun's Mansion is we thought we could find some rare Pokemo," The man said all in one fell swoop. "Really. That's the only reason!"

"What Pokemon are you looking for?" The Ranger was disbelieving, but he wanted to see if he could draw information out of the man. "Amun never owned any powerful Pokemon. He had many books, though."

The Pincher froze in fright, his lie uncovered. Pichu seemed very satisfied with its partner, while Murph gave a triumphant thumbs up to Ben, who stepped back and moved on through the rest of the wooden passage. Those guys were quite sharp, after all. He and Murph had to hurry.

At the very end of the underground corridor, they saw one single door. Murph and Ben hid behind the sides of it, before moving in. Ben had the honor of kicking down the door and taking down the two Pinchers in the room. They had no chance of fighting back when he got them from behind like that. He quickly took out any of their weapons and flung it as far as he could, and somehow managed get all two of them out of the way. Murph quickly stepped in to get some authority in the room.

"Playtime's over, you fiends!" He commanded. "What's with the mess in this room?"

The only enemy left standing was a woman with blonde hair. Ben recognized her from back on the tower where she had abandoned them and let them fend for themselves. So she was here to look for the book…

"My, how brave," The woman smiled. "Aren't you the one who fell through the hole in the floor? And that Ranger must be that kid, Ben, from Red Eyes' report. We met before at the wireless Tower, didn't we?"

"I remember," Ben stood up to face her, with Murph coming up from behind. He had no idea who this woman was, nor was he aware of the fact that she and Ben had encountered each other before.

"Being careful of a cute little kid like you," The blue and blonde haired woman shrugged. "Red Eyes has a sense of humor"

"Who are you?" Murph asked brazenly.

"I'm the leader of the Pkmn Pinchers," She smiled slyly. "I am called Blue Eyes."

"So you're after the book?" Ben asked. "'The Legends of the Oblivia Region' by Amun?"

"We've looked but can't find it," Blue Eyes answered before staring back at him accusingly. "You have it, don't you?"

"So that is what you're after," Murph shot back, taking over for Ben. "What do you plan to do with this book, then? I don't plan on letting you people do anything serious if you get the book."

Ben stared at Murph calculatingly. He could see what Murph was trying to do. They hadn't yet answered Blue Eyes' question yet, so Murph has decided to bluff. All they needed was information and more information. If they could drive the Pinchers away, that would make things even better, but all they needed was motives.

"You sure talk a lot for someone who fell through a hole in the floor." Blue Eyes responded rather haughtily. "So from the looks of you two, I guess you two are little weaklings. That means we still have a chance! Go! Meganium!"

"Ben!" Murph called out to his subordinate, who quickly went forth towards Blue Eyes. What was this woman thinking? There was no way he could allow anything take away their chances to find the book first. He tapped into Black Water and in a moment, he was right next to the Pinchers' leader. Blue Eyes was flustered by the sudden speed of the Ranger as he used his fists to shatter the gauntlet on her wrist. From there, several Pokemon came out, released from captivity, and they fled the area.

"Don't do that," Ben warned Blue Eyes. "If you had sent out a Meganium, you would have destroyed the library, and you would never find the book."

"Heh, so you never had the book after all," The woman smiled. "I don't believe it. Red Eyes is right. You are extraordinary!"

Ben stepped back quickly to evade a knife aimed for his stomach. Koa jumped from his shoulder and landed on the ground to give its partner some space. Blue Eyes laughed in amusement, her hands playing with a knife in her hands. Murph turned round, and made notice that the Pinchers Ben had incapacitated are not up, but they didn't want to attack them.

"We'll hurry and call backup!"

Murph gritted his teeth in frustration. This way, they'll be outnumbered soon. Ben kept his attention on Blue Eyes, who was still brandishing her knives.

"You fight, well," Blue Eyes stated. "But which is better? My knives or your fists? Whoever wins can get the book."

Ben didn't like the sound of this, but he was ready to fight, and he drew out his tonfas, twirling them once in his hands. Blue Eyes set a low whistle, impressed that this Ranger was much more than she thought he would be. Murph stood back, his eye on the door. He himself wasn't a very good fighter, but he could deliver a good punch given the time and circumstances.

The Ranger was ready to pounce into action, but suddenly, a strong wind blew him back, while Blue Eyes was forced against the bookshelf by the gust. Loose pages flew all about the library, eliminating any chance of a battle between Blue Eyes and Ben. Murph looked wildly about the room, trying to see what was causing this wind.

"Sta!"

A bird swooped down through the mess of papers and books, its feathery tail brushing against Murph's face. It plunged through the pile of books, and with a boost of a wing attack, it burst from the mess with a book in its talons. Blue Eyes gasped at what the Pokemon was carrying: the book that they were all looking for!

"Staravia!"

The storm of papers and pages subsided, and everyone's eyes followed the bird Pokemon towards something strange standing on top of the bookshelf across from them. The Staravia perched on its owner's arm. The stranger took the book from the bird, and rewarded it with some food before returning it to its Pokeball. Blue Eyes was enraged at having lost her easy chance for the book, while Ben and Murph stared in disbelief.

The stranger was shrouded by the dark above the shelves, and only the glint of strong blue eyes could be seen. The person wore all black, or a long coat that covered the body and hid one's identity and figure. However, the voice that was projected was clearly a woman.

"You were looking for this book?" She said commandingly, as if she owned the place. Blue Eyes didn't wait to throw a knife at the woman, but the stranger caught with very good reaction. The Pinchers' leader was impressed, but she was not pleased that this person got in her way.

"Get down here and give it back," Blue Eyes threatened the newcomer, but she didn't budge.

"Sorry," the woman took out a Pokeball and called out Infernape. "I can't let you have this book."

"Are you on the Rangers' side?!"

"Who said I was?" The stranger questioned Blue Eyes. "I don't work with them, so I'm not on their side, but I am aiming to stop you."

"You…!" The blue and blonde haired woman fumed. "You don't plan on doing that, are you?!"

Ben and Murph took time to connect the dots between the stranger, the Infernape, and the book, and they paled upon realization at what was to happen next.

"Amun was a recluse, I learned," The cloaked woman stated. "He probably wanted to share what he learned, though. This book is one of them. However, you are planning on using this for malicious purposes, so I cannot allow you to have it."

"Wait!" Ben cried. "What about us? We aren't planning on using it for anything bad!"

The woman paused, but she gave out her final verdict.

"I can only be fair," she explained. "If this woman, your enemy, cannot have this book, then you don't have any right to, either. I am sorry."

She gave a swift flourish of her free hand, and tossed the book into the air. Ben and Murph were as pallid as ever, while Blue Eyes cried in anguish at the fate of the book. Infernape left from its position on the shelf and with flaming fists, it turned the poor book to ashes. Embers rained down on everyone, catching onto the rest of the library. Instantly, the books and pages were set on fire, flames licking against anything that was remotely made of trees. Blue Eyes was unsuspecting of the crumbling bookshelf that was hold of the books that sat on the highest shelves. Ben, however, saw this first and came running towards the Pinchers' leader, not caring whether or not she was an enemy.

The books tumbled down along with a large portion of the shelf, directly at Blue Eyes. The woman gasped in horror. This happened too soon, and she had no time to move. Then, a swift pair of arms grabbed her by the shoulders and in a few seconds, she and the person crashed into the nearest shelf. Luckily, the worst damage was just a single book that landed on her savior's head.

"Ben!"

"Pichu!"

Murph and Koa came his way, dodging the intense flames. Murph was already sweating from the heat of the fire, and he was closest to the door. Ben shrugged off Blue Eyes, who was knocked out quite conveniently. The Range debated on whether or not he should tie her up already. He could carry her out, but no one knew how long it would take for her to come to.

"We gotta get out!" Murph shouted at him over the crackling of the fire, and Ben quickly obeyed, slinging one of Blue Eyes's arms over his shoulder, and holding onto her waist with the other hand. With one leap, he made it to the door to catch up to Murph and Koa, who were already ahead. They quickly ran through the corridor, which, to their disdain, was also burning already, so much that the Pokemon inhabiting the place was escaping as well. That strange woman must really loved fire or something.

They made it out in a matter of minutes, and they tried to run out to the middle of the yard where the fire wouldn't touch them. Ben gave one lasting look at Amun's old mansion, wondering what would happen now that none of the two sides had the book. Things would be harder from now on…

He hefted Blue Eyes on his shoulders, still unconscious. The Ranger glanced at Murph and Koa, who seemed tired but fine nonetheless. He then looked back at the mansion. The fire was going to sprawl everywhere on the forest here. That wasn't acceptable?! But where could he find Water Pokemon? He didn't have any time to go running into the ocean to catch some Buizels to take this out.

"Piplup, use Water Gun!"

A small blue baby penguin leapt over their heads and launched a barrage of water attacks at the burning mansion. Still not enough.

"Buizel, you too!"

"Bui!"

The orange otter joined its comrade in the effort, and the two of them put the fore out in a few minutes. Murph sighed in relief. Just in time, it seemed. But who was that?

"Ben!" A voice called them from behind, and everyone turned to see who it was. Bobbing blue hair was arriving up the hill, revealing a very calm Ice. Murph flinched when he recognized the man. He knew that Ice had reformed and was now in a high management position in Davies Tech, but he didn't think that the man would be here of all places, on Oblivia.

"Ben!" Ice called, and Piplup turned around to approach its master. Buizel stayed behind, since it didn't belong to the blue haired man. Ben had one look at it, and he noticed that it was Keith's. Was his teacher here on Mitatonga Island, too?

"Murph?!" Ice jumped in surprise. "Why are you here?!"

"Long story," Murph answered briskly, and he looked back at the mansion. Piplup and Buizel were powerhouses themselves, and they had already extinguished half of the flames on the mansion. He looked at Ben and Blue Eyes on the side and then back to Ice. If Ice was here, then Basil would be here as well…

"Where's my teacher?" Ben asked Ice, who shook his head.

"He's still on Renbow Island overseeing repairs on the Wireless Tower. He'll be coming here shortly, though. He's caught wind of the issues on Mitatonga, and he's sent his partner with me to take a quick chopper ride to the island." [3]

Ice gave looked back at the remnants of Amun's Mansion, his face turning grim.

"So the place has finally been burnt down, huh…"

Murph looked back at Ice, wondering if he knew anything, but he pushed it aside because there was something that was more important.

"Ice," Murph said. "Let's get back to Tilt Village. I have a boat back there that we can use. It's broken at the moment, though."

"Broken?" The blue haired man raised an eyebrow. "Why should we…"

His eyes fell upon the blue and blonde haired woman that Ben was still carrying, and he understood. He motioned for Murph to lead the way back, and proceeded to help Ben by taking Blue Eyes into his own hands. He looked back at the mansion one last time as they left, knowing that Buizel and Piplup were strong Pokemon that know their way back (their masters trained them well), so he was not worried about them as much. He didn't worry about the great loss of the library either. He had something in mind for the Rangers when they return.

Then Ben suddenly stopped walking, and everyone looked back at him, wondering why he stopped. Koa wanted to stay with its partner and hopped onto his shoulder. Ice blinked at the young Ranger, wondering what was going on. The boy had strange abilities (he possessed Black Water, after all).

"I want to go back and check something."

"Oh, okay," Murph approved. "Just be back by evening."

Ben waved to Murph and Ice as they headed back to Tilt Village. He and Koa ran off back to the mansion where it was burnt pretty badly. What a shame, such a historic place could have been preserved.

He entered the front yard again overgrown with ivy and wild grasses, and Koa's ears perked up, and its partner paused. He could sense a strong presence somewhere around the yard, just he couldn't pinpoint where exactly…

"Bi…"

Ben recognized that sound! He searched frantically around the yard to find where that sound was. Here was his chance! He needed to find out what was going on!

"Bi!"

A green sphere grew from the center of the yard, and Ben had turned around just in time to see it. He quickly stepped back and then broke into a sprint towards the sphere, hoping to catch it before it went away. Just as he was a few feet away, something dark had entered the sphere, and the last chance was fading away. Ben pushed himself harder, and with a large leap, tossing poor Koa off of him, he dove into the sphere seconds before it disappeared completely.

* * *

><p>NOTES:<p>

[1] I can imagine Hocus having "German" origins, so he'd sprinkle some things with German, though he speaks English pretty well without accent. For this universe, his last name is Houdini, after Harry Houdini. The rest of his kind will have meaningful names, so either I'll just introduce it one by one, or I can reveal all of them together when the climax comes.

[2] This will be the only time you will ever hear Murph's full name.

[3] Although planes and helicopters do exist, there really isn't anyone who can really use them very well enough to pilot them for long. Kate has been shown to use planes pretty well, but she already went off on her own to Mitatonga by bird. Ice probably managed to get someone to drop him off, somehow (another pretty bad ass pull)

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **_Long chapters are good, right?_


	12. Not Just Yet

**Tracks of Light**

**Chapter 12 – Not Just Yet**

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><p><em>"Celebi! Celebi!"<em>

_A child's voice woke Ben up. He rolled over from his laying position in what seemed like tall grasses, while his eyes adjusted themselves to the great amount of greenery above his head. Twigs and stones poked at his bare arms as he shifted around, and the Ranger jumped in fright when he thought he touched something moving with his hands, and his head shot up and hit a lower branch of a tree._

_While the young boy was seething about his clumsiness, a green Pokemon was conniving pranks to play on the unsuspecting Ranger. It should be returning to Ravio and be assisting the woman who arrived to battle the Oracles, but this was such a good chance to try something…_

_"Celebi!"_

_Both the Ranger and the Celebi were startled by voice in close proximity. Ravio, the young boy with blue plated armor, stood with his hands on his hips. "Where have you been? I've been looking all over for you!"_

_The boy noticed that Ben was here, and he gave an exasperated sigh._

_"Celebi," He looked at the green Pokemon. "Miss Katrina's already here. I don't think Ben needs to be here."_

_Ben snapped out of his stupor, and upon the mention of that stranger's name, he quickly charged towards Ravio, and he placed his hands on the startled boy's shoulder._

_"You," The Ranger couldn't remember the kid's name. "You know about Miss Katrina, or whatever she is?"_

_"Yeah…"_

_"Does she happen to be wearing a large black coat?"_

_"Well, yes," Ravio then swatted his hands away. "Why should I even tell you this? We probably could have asked you to go after those oracles today, but Miss Katrina's here, so I'm not sure why you're here."_

_"I would like to know what's going on," Ben stressed the 'know' as he gazed intently upon the boy. He prided in the fact that he was tall enough to look intimidating. However, Ravio didn't look at all fazed by his hostile demeanor._

_"I really don't know what's going on," the boy responded gruffly as he turned around to the way out of the forest. "I'll just take you to the outside of the temple. Kira and Tanvir are there. They know how to deal with you."_

_Ben was escorted through what should have been Teakwood forest (he noticed a tree that was strikingly similar to the one he saw in the present), until they emerged upon the stone streets, exactly as Ben had last remembered it. However, something was slightly off. There were no marketplaces to awe and walk past like last time. What happened?_

_"Ravio!" Kira's voice got their attention, and they met up at a pair of very large iron gates. The dark blue doors were closed for the day, and Tanvir looked very frustrated from behind everyone else, looking at the door with contempt. Ravio carefully explained the situation to his surrogate parents, who nodded to every word he said, and Tanvir looked up at Celebi._

_"Celebi...?" The large man questioned. "Is there a reason you keep bringing Ben to our time?"_

_"Miss Katrina already went ahead," Ravio tried to reason ."We shouldn't have to ask Ben to check on the temples, too. You can't open the next temple unless you finish the previous one."_

_"All right," Ben tried to take control of the situation. "Who is this Miss Katrina you keep talking on about? I've been taken here several times already, and I still don't know what's going on. If this keeps up, I'll have to find out eventually."_

_Kira and Tanvir paused and eyed the boy curiously, their minds still wondering about how they could put Ben into the plan. However, the ground shook as the large iron doors slowly came open, and the entire group stared at the dark void ahead in horror. Something heavy and metal was emerging from that darkness. Kira and Tanvir were unsettled, prepared to run if they had to. Ben knew nothing, but the dark poisonous aura was emanating from those doors…_

_Heavy footsteps clanged against the cobblestone streets, and a large man emerged from the shadows. He had large broad shoulders, and a form-fitting shirt, outlining every edge of his carved muscles. His pants were just the same. His head was adorned with a large metal helmet that covered the head completely, with small slits to see through and breath._

_"All you temple oracles!" Kira challenged the man. "What's happening in the temples? Why did you close the door? Do you know how many people are in need of your assistance?!"_

_A long silence followed, and the temple oracle, unmoving replied in slurs. " I will not answer your questions."_

_"What are you saying?" Tanvir talked to them as if they were old friends._

_"We are the ones to control the world," The strange helmet man continued. "You are the ones to be controlled."_

_"What are you saying?" Kira was more taken aback. "We come from the same region! Aren't we all friends? Stop making these terrible jokes!"_

_"I only speak the truth!" The suddenly incensed temple oracle bellowed. "Ah, you recall the woman who had gone through these doors a while ago. She hasn't come back, it seems…"_

_Ravio lost his temper and charged at the man, but Tanvir's strong arms held the young boy from imminent peril. Ben stood in front of them protectively. He was sure the man would try to fight or send a strong Pokemon at them, so he had to be ready._

_"You fiend!" Ravio wrestled and kicked in Tanvir's grip. "What have you done to Miss Katrina!? She's not hurt!"_

_"I fail to see how you think differently," The armored man pointed to his head. "The Steelhead can use this mysterious armor to use a Pokemon's power any way we like! Your hero is no match for us. Those with no such powers, must how down to us!"_

_The man pumped his fists in the arm and waved them as if he were summoning something, and Kira and Tanvir backed up against each other, keeping Ravio nearby and behind Ben. The Ranger was hearing dark pulses of low noises coming from the temple as the Steelhead sang a deep incantation that he couldn't understand with Celebi's language fix._

_Several Empoleon emerged from the temple and lined up behind the Steelhead as he continued his incantation, and a lone Piplup that hobbled in front of its master. Ben was focused on the large penguins that were most likely to barrel at them in huge jets of water anytime soon. He could handle difficult Pokemon, but many at the same time meant trouble. Also, he was supposed to keep the people behind him from harm._

_With a flick of the wrist, the Steelhead sent the summoned Pokemon straight at the party, and Ben quickly jumped into action. He swerved behind the first Empoleon that came at him, and unleashed his Capture Disc upon the large bird. As soon as he finished, he dodged a ball of water and went on to the next one. However, he noticed that some of the Empoleon were already retreating without his assistance, until he heard loud battle cries from behind him._

_Kira and Tanvir making strange circular movements with their arms at one Empoleon, essentially snapping it out of its stupor and sending it back to the temple. Ravio did well in staying behind the lines, making his own movements, though not as refined as Kira and Tanvir. With support, Ben blew through half of the Empoleon with ease, until the Steelhead didn't relinquish._

_"I have more!" he shouted and with a sweep of a hand, more Water Pokemon emerged from the gates. Kira and Tanvir watched in horror at the influx of Pokemon, Ben staggered back, uncertain as if whether or not he would even win this battle. The Steelhead laughed at their shocked faces, taunting them for their weaknesses until a large slash interrupted the clamor._

_The Steelhead was cut off mid-sentence, and stood in the same place for a few seconds, before dropping to his knees and then to his face, his arms flopping down to the ground after his body. The helmet split into two hitting the cobblestone, and the oracle's true face was revealed, a sturdy but benevolent man. The small army of Pokemon, now released, hurried back into the temple or scampered back into the forest where they came from. Everyone blinked in surprise at the sudden conclusion, and looked back at the doors where their savior should have come from._

_Soft catlike footsteps made their way out, and revealed a woman in black, her face grim, and her brown hair catching the light air that blew out of the doors. Ben was ways away from the stranger, but he couldn't believe his eyes. So this was the Miss Katrina Ravio was talking about and the one who burnt Amun's Mansion down. Just the person he was looking for…_

_But his face caught on to the pallor when all he could see was someone he knew before. He remembered how she towered over him back at the Academy when she came for their outdoor class, and how she broke into his cell back at the laboratory for him. She was everyone's older sister at the Academy when things become peaceful after Dim Sun's fall, and then she was gone from the face of the planet._

_"K-Kate…?" Ben stammered, his legs giving way. To think that he of all people would find her here…_

_The woman didn't change face as she stepped past the fallen Steelhead, the tails of her coat fluttering behind her feet. Ravio and the others gasped in relief, and the little boy ran towards her. The woman gave the smallest of smiles and bent down to give him a hug, reassuring him that she was all right, and the oracle she had gone up against was okay, too. She took a long time to approach Ben, just as much as he was anxious to talk to her._

_"Well?" Kate's voiced came out as lower than the last time they've met (five years ago?). She looked grim as she spoke, as if the past few years had not been kind to her. Her face was splattered with a large red scar that ran down the right side of her face, and one of her eyes didn't even look real anymore. Ben was at a loss for words. He shouldn't have seen her first. Keith wanted to find her, and who knows what might happen if he told the news to his teacher._

_"W-Why…?"_

_The words rolled out of his mouth like water, and Kate's eyebrows rose, surprised at his question. She understood his words perfectly, but her answer wouldn't come back at him. Ravio stood between the two, making the connection quickly. The boy knew better than to ask the woman of her relation to Ben, and he quickly tugged at her sleeve. The two didn't have much time here in the past, so business should come first._

_"Miss Katrina," Ravio's voice piped up. "What about this temple oracle down here?"_

_"Oh," Kate responded, glancing back at the unconscious man. "I must have knocked him out pretty badly. You should take him to your local doctor. He won't be up for a day or so."_

_"That oracle..." Tanvir joined in. "He looked as if he was under a spell or something."_

_"That seems to be so," Kate nodded. "The two oracles I've seen so far behave the same way. I can't get much out of them because they seem to disappear after I defeat them."_

_Ben's stomach jumped. There was more of these guys? He hoped none of these Steelheads exist in the present time…_

_"Controlling the world and mistreating Pkmn..." Kira shook her head in shame. "Those cannot be the words of the temple oracles. Now I'm worried about the Pkmn inside the temples, too."_

_"I am investigating these temples to the best of my ability," Kate answered coolly. "At least we have gathered the general behavior of these Steelheads."_

_"We should not rely on someone from another time," Tanvir sighed. "We should be the ones to solve our problems... Unfortunately we aren't strong enough."_

_"There is nothing wrong with asking for help. I don't have much to do at the moment, and Celebi has the power to travel to specific times."_

_"True," Kira agreed. "But… what about him?"_

_All eyes were laid upon Ben, and the young Ranger cringed under their scrutiny. Kate remained expressionless as she looked at Ben, judging his abilities with a quick glance. But he felt left out of this. He couldn't understand why Celebi would go great lengths to bring him here again if they were just going to kick him out._

_"I'll deal with him later," Kate answered. "Our time slot here is running out. I'm sorry I didn't stay long enough."_

_"It's nothing," Kira smiled. "We're here to make sure the village doesn't get damaged, so we'll wait for you tomorrow."_

_Kate returned with a respectful nod before exchanging glances at Celebi, who brought them back to the empty courtyard of Amun's Mansion._

* * *

><p>Ben was quickly greeted by Koa, who jumped into his arms and worriedly squeaked at him. Ben petted his partner Pichu and made eye contact with Kate, who was standing some distance away from him. He had many questions to ask now that he's seen her, and he wanted to tell his teacher that she was here, and help ease the unhappiness Keith had been through. Something! Just say something!<p>

"I want to help, too, Kate," Ben resolved. "I've been brought here before, and I want to understand things through."

The former Ranger said nothing in response as she eyed him again. Yes, he has grown considerably, and she could see that Keith had taught him well. But he was still young. One look at him and she could tell he was inexperienced. He already had a mission already.

"Not possible," Kate shot him down. "You have your own duties to fulfill against the Pinchers."

"Then why aren't you helping?" Ben shot back. "You can go back anytime with Celebi. You said so yourself, right?"

The boy had guts speaking so familiarly with her, Kate thought. She had her reasons. Seven capable people should be enough to take down the organization. Basil and Ice already had the plans to take them all out. They just needed to feed the Rangers the information and everything would be fine. She wasn't needed for this operation. But Ben thought otherwise. [1]

"You were there, weren't you?" the young boy hypothesized. "You were there at the Wireless Tower with us, right?"

"And why does it matter, Ben?"

"It does! You just suddenly disappeared five years ago, and I thought we were going to work together! Rhythmi cried for months, and Keith hasn't smiled very much since then. You're already acquitted of all charges!"

Kate didn't say anything as he ranted through about how much her acquaintances suffered since her absence. She understood the pain they went through, and waiting was agonizing. But she had to take it.

"The first thing you should ask me is about the mansion," Kate pointed at the burnt house. "Not my intentions. Keith promised to wait for me when the time comes. Let him be and worry about yourself."

Ben held back another barrage of reckless words, and agreed. Indeed, he should be more concerned about the mission, not Kate's personal affairs. Before he could ask, Kate was already walking away down the dirt path.

"Kate!" He cried after her. The woman stopped, and turned to face him to give him a final warning.

"Time flows like a river. Time flows and it eventually... Ben. Never about the past to anyone back. Some of those who hear such things may try to change the flow of time. And do not speak of me anytime after this."

Ben took a while to absorb what she had said before she was out of sight. Koa gazed off curiously after the woman. It recognized this woman a long time ago. She had visited Dolce Island with her brother and she liked the Pokemon there… It looked up at Ben, who was still pale from the recent events. He looked conflicted with feelings, but pulled himself together to head back to Tilt Village where Blue Eyes was held.

* * *

><p>Ben was greeted by a very relieved Murph, who swept him into a big bear hug. Both Koa and Ben suffocated from his grip, and they were gasping for breath when he let them go. The Chief of the Union then began to ramble about what had happened a while ago.<p>

"I've been questioning Blue Eyes aboard the Union, you see," he babbled. "It looks like this is going to take a while. Well, you see, Keith just arrived a few minutes ago, so he's in the interrogation room… don't worry, Ben! Ice is in the room with him, so Blue Eyes won't get killed."

"Good," Ben nodded cautiously. His teacher was a complete beast when interrogation came around, and Ben never did such a good job at restraining the redhead. He felt uneasy about the mention of Keith now that he had seen Kate. She had discreetly asked him to leave her out of the reports, so how was he going to explain the burning mansion?

"Well, this is good news we should tell Rand," Murph grinned. "Thanks to you, we managed to catch their leader. We might be able to find out where your friends are! And we might know Summer's location as well."

The Ranger looked up at Murph again. Summer… now that he realized that she had been taken captive for a few days already, he wondered how she was enduring this wait. His heart fluttered at the mention of her name, and he felt empty at the memory. She must have thought he was dead. Even if Red Eyes saw him again at the bridge, that man might have never told Summer that he was alive…

"The Pinchers' leaders are red and blue, right?" Murph continued to ramble. "That means we're well on our way to completing this job! I can't believe we caught the bad guys' leader, even though we just looking for Amun's book. Well, we're going to have a problem with that…"

A door opened from the Union, and from the harbor, Ben could see Keith emerging from the cabin in the ship. His eyes were livid, and his shoulders were weary as he made his way towards them. Murph's face fell into a grimace as Keith approached them. The redhead noticed Ben and Koa and nodded respectfully at them.

"No use," Keith explained irritably. "That woman is cheeky, although she did confirm everything you said about what happened at the mansion."

Ben blanched at the realization. Does that mean Murph mentioned Kate appearing, too? Keith's a pretty smart Ranger, so he'd easily figure out who that was…

"We'll have to file a report soon," Ben tried to skim over the subject quickly. "Do you want us to go, Murph?"

"Yes, please do," Murph nodded. "Rand needs to be up-to-date about what's going on here. Keith, please accompany him."

Keith readily complied and walked alongside Ben up the hill to Big Booker Bridge. Buizel had rejoined its master and was now playfully teasing Koa as they walked along, much to the Pichu's dismay. Ben was as tense as his teacher, but all for very different reasons. The silence between them was so stifling; he wished Keith hadn't gone with him, even if Raikou would make him motion-sick from speed again. Ben watched his teacher's face contort with confusion. Perhaps the man didn't know that the stranger was Kate. It could easily be a vigilante who came from Orre to hunt down poachers, not just Kate…

"You should summon Raikou out now," Keith suggested to his student. "There's no one around, so we should get back as soon as possible."

Ben did as he was told, and they all mounted the yellow tiger as it appeared before them. Within seconds, Raikou took them across the bridges and right at the front gate of Basil's home. Keith was not at all perturbed by the ride, and Ben himself was clinging fearfully onto the Pokemon's fur, but this time, the tiger was so fast, Ben didn't even have time to get motion sick.

The two Rangers dismounted gingerly, and Ben released the Pokemon, and they made their way up the tower. Well enough, Basil and Nema were outside to greet them, their faces beaming and unfazed by the recent disasters. They settled themselves in the living room of the house, while Basil went off to get refreshments. Nema was very hyperactive today, and she was constantly poking at Ben about his recent Styler Mode. Basil had taken the liberty of explaining the parts of it to Nema, and the young girl quickly understood things, much to everyone's amazement. Rand wasn't kidding about his genius daughter, after all.

"How is the Styler working? Show it to me for a second," Nema grabbed at Ben's arm and looked over it quickly. "Yep. It looks fine."

"Ah, you guys are back?" Leanne came into the room. "Dinner will be ready in a few hours. Rand is still at the Wireless Tower. Did you come back early, Keith?"

"Oh, no," The redhead shook his head. "I was called to Mitatonga in the middle of work. I came back with my student here. Rand will have to be filled in later, and he's coming home late."

* * *

><p>Blue Eyes sighed in discontent as she waited patiently for someone to come in, preferably one of her men who might have subdued that redheaded Ranger who had little control of his temper, the blue haired man she remembered as some crime lord back in Almia, and that large regular salaryman. She had learned that the man was Murph, and of all titles, he was the Chief of the Ranger Union. The woman questioned herself why such a man was chosen for such a demanding role. The man was terribly skinny, lacked proper exercise to even perhaps stand straight. [2]<p>

She was surprised that such a boat had such class. This room was actually an office, with a true desk and the flag of the Ranger Union in the back. Blue Eyes were rather impressed by what tidiness this man had, judging by the nice, crimson and gold carpet that had not even been marred by seawater, the feel of the leather chair she was sitting in (she rather liked the arm rests), and a very well organized desk. She only met important men with very dazzling faces, but messy offices, and she immediately regretted about even having any interest in those men.

The relatively dark cabin room was opened, and Blue Eyes looked up from her seat behind in front of the desk. Behind her place, the regular man who was supposedly the chief of the Ranger Union stepped in, with that blue haired former-villain sneaking a small word to him before standing outside. Murph (she was forgetting names) strode calmly across the small office and settled in his chair from behind the desk, as if he had truly belonged there. Blue Eyes was still in disbelief that such a weak-looking man would become the chief, and she remained slightly slouched in her seat.

"You name is Blue Eyes, correct?" Murph's goofy grin sunk into a plain, unemotional blankness. "Your alias, I mean."

"Yes," Blue Eyes straightened in her chair, not expecting that sudden drop in temperature of the room. Did this man read her mind about him being weak? He was really exerting pressure on her at the moment. She gave off a wary presence to him, hoping she could counter this strange feeling.

"Well, introductions?" Murph suggested.

"I already know your name, Murph," Blue Eyes answered blandly. "You are the supposed chief of the Ranger Union."

"Supposed?" the man didn't seem at all offended. "Now what makes you say that?"

Blue Eyes raised an eyebrow at the man. Wasn't he supposed to be asking her questions that the Rangers was unable to get information out of without killing her? Something was amiss.

"You're weak," the woman said blatantly. "You lack proper muscle, you were bumbling around and stuttering like simpering fool when you arrived on the boat. What kind of place is the Ranger Union if a man like you is the chief?"

"It runs quite well, thank you very much," Murph shrugged off the complete insult. "I don't remember getting scared of the ship, since I rode it here myself. Do you see me stuttering now?"

Blue Eyes didn't say anything back, as Murph continued.

"I guess we know what's about to happen."

"Of course," the woman huffed. "I'll escape this place. Starting with you."

She leapt out of her seat and lunged across the desk at Murph, he stayed in his seat, unsmiling. Her hands were reaching out for his throat, hoping to knock him out so she could beat up the guy outside and get out, however, her hands stopped in the process of unwinding, and she was suspended in the air, right on top of the desk. The Pinchers' leader broke into cold sweat as she realized that she couldn't move, and she was floating in the air. Murph hadn't moved from his place, but he was very triumphant, with that smug smile on his face that enraged her.

"Please, take a seat," Murph sounded like he was taunting her. "We have to be civil in discussions like these."

Blue Eyes turned around, and much to her surprise, a Slowking was hiding behind the chair, its eyes glowing ominously. Had the Pokemon used Psychic on her? It was skilled, to even stop her from moving any part of her body, yet keep her inner systems functioning properly.

_The Master wishes to speak,_ the Slowking spoke [3], _So please do hear what he has to say._

"Y-You…" Blue Eyes averted her glare back at the Chief, who didn't seem to mind as she was wrested back into her seat. The effects of Psychic were taken off of most parts of her body, except for her ankles and wrists.

"As a high-class criminal from the deepest parts of Orre," Murph grimaced. "I expected you'd try to attack me physically. Though, do tell me about yourself. What family do you come from?"

"Family?" Blue Eyes laughed mirthlessly. "We belong to no family. We do things for ourselves. We don't listen to anyone."

"We," Murph raised an eyebrow. "You mean you and your organization of Pinchers?"

"Me and Re-" Blue Eyes caught herself in her mistake. How had she even let that slip? She was usually very careful with her words, and to think that this bastard of a man had gotten her to speak out the things she didn't mean to say, she was beginning to feel defeat. She bit her lips firmly to avoid saying anything more. Murph seemed to take the hint, and he got up from his seat and went out for the door.

"I hope this is more than enough to accommodate for you stay here," Murph's smiled slightly as he turned back from the door. Slowking followed after its master, but its hold on Blue Eyes restraints were still as strong as ever.

"Don't treat me as your guest," the woman snarled back.

"I-I mean…" Murph stammered for once (was he in a split personality?), and he straightened up. "I mean, you'll be staying here as long as I see fit. Until I have enough information out of you, you'll have to remain here on the Union."

The door closed behind Blue Eyes, and the woman sat straight ahead, frustrated by her shortcomings. She could see that this man was the type of man who would pick at her bit by bit, even with the smallest iota of information, and he would be able to bring her down to her knees and make her talk. She had to plan ahead against this man, even if that meant staying for a while. Her superiors wouldn't too happy about her absence, but they'll understand that she was going up against one of the most powerful men in their enemy ranks.

She couldn't see what time of day it was. Murph had left no clocks, no windows, and no walls where she could hear anything from outside. Blue Eyes was trapped. She gripped the cloth arms of her chair irritably. Getting out of here won't be happening anytime soon.

Soon, she heard the door behind her creak open and close silently, no footsteps accompanying it. The Pinchers' leader froze in her seat, and with some concentration, she could hear light feet walking across the room, faster than it should sound. This was by no means Murph. The man would have stumbled or strode in loudly like he owned the place.

"Who came to see me of all people?" She challenged the newcomer. "You came to get me out?"

"No, not at all," A woman's voice sounded from behind, and chills began to run down Blue Eyes's spine. She hadn't heard this person for a while. The last time they met in the rancid streets of Orre, but that was four years ago, when that woman had only begun as a mere bodyguard for a powerful mafia family. Their acquaintance was only four days full, but in Orre, that was enough to know each other.

"So it's you," Blue Eyes turned around to see exactly the woman she had been guessing. "What brings you here?"

"Questions," Kate took a seat beside the desk. "About how you and your brother's doing. Murph won't be back for a while, so we have all the time here to talk."

The blonde woman for once gave a smile. They were old "friends," after all.

"Go ahead."

* * *

><p>"Well, what happened?" Basil came back, eager to hear what had happened. Keith said that he didn't know and looked at his student to explain the situation. The Ranger nervously recounted almost everything, and received looks of doubt and shock from his audience.<p>

"You caught the Pincher's leader Blue Eyes?" Basil beamed. "That's amazing! Now we may finally be able to figure out what the Pinchers are up to! And Murph's here, too! He must have been worried about all of us.s"

"Rand will be happy about this!" Leanne exclaimed. "Although, that book…"

"I-I'm sorry, Leanne," Ben bowed his head down in shame. "I should have gotten to the library quicker…"

"Oh, no," Leanne tried to comfort his anxieties. "Don't say it's your fault. I'm sure you tried your best to get to the book. However, that book was sought after by the Pinchers, too. Since they don't have it either, we should be glad that we were able to stop them to some extent."

"The book…" Basil muttered. "What was the name again?"

"Murph said it was 'Legends of the Oblivia Region,'" Ben tried to recall. "It was written by Amun."

"That book?" Leanne agreed. "I've heard rumors about it, but it really exists."

"It still does."

Everyone turned to Basil, who had said it. The boy realized what a blunder he had caused, and shrunk away from the scrutiny.

"What do you mean?" Keith asked in bewilderment. "The fire destroyed the entire house with that book."

Basil shifted uncomfortably before finding ease in speaking out.

"Ice and I… have been visiting the islands for a while…" He said tentatively. "We did come here to research more about making the resort when we bought Sophian Island, and… we came across Amun's mansion when we were exploring the islands two years ago."

"You knew about that book?" Keith asserted. Ben could see that his teacher was beginning to get angry about this, and hoped that nothing bad would happen.

"We did," Basil apologized admittedly. "I… I guess I should have told you earlier, but… we… we have the book with us…"

"You have it with you?" Nema jumped excitedly. "So that book in the library was a fake copy?"

"No," the young entrepreneur shook his head. "I meant that… we spent two full summers archiving the entire library... into our computers here. We thought it should be preserved, all that information…"

The room fell silent altogether and many things began to make sense to Keith and Leanne. No wonder Basil and Ice must have known so much about these Emblems and how they made the Sign Mode program so quickly. Just how much did these two keep from everyone?

"I-I'm sorry…" Basil apologized. "We meant to keep it a secret because of certain circumstance… but with the situation as it is now, we shouldn't be keeping this information to ourselves…"

"Basil," Keith's voice was firm. "I don't approve of you withholding information from us after all this time… but thank you."

"Thank you?"

"That's right," Leanne smiled at the young boy. "You've compiled a full database of the library that we can use exclusively. The Pinchers have lost the game again this time."

"Smart move, Basil, and Ice, too," Ben smiled at his friend. They could decide a more fitting punishment for Basil later, just now that they had the resources they needed, they were satisfied.

Leanne wanted to see more of the scanned books, and Basil happily led her down to the office where the computers were kept. Ben could hear gasps of awe as Leanne scrolled through the pages in amazement.

"The writing is really small and cramped, "the archaeologist marveled at the continuous streaming of pages. "Looks like a thick difficult-looking book. But I will have finished reading it before you know it."

"Oh, really?" Basil smiled. "Ice and I aren't anything close to archaeologists, so we never managed to read any of the book…"

"Well, you've got me, so this isn't a problem," Leanne glanced back at the pages. "It's not going to be that easy. Either Amun was a very strange person or half of the book is written in Oblivian ancient script. It may take a little while, but I'll try to read it."

"Thank you, Leanne," Ben exclaimed, and the woman grinned before deciding to get to work. She told Basil that she wouldn't be able to help for dinner that day, and the young boy gave both Ben and Keith a knowing smile. Keith had little problems with helping with dinner (he lived alone and made his own food) *, and Ben was not so bad himself. They followed Basil to the kitchen and were assigned to chopping vegetables. Keith was quick and clean on the cutting board and he finished his share soon. Ben was slightly behind his mentor and he wondered just how much restraint Keith had to use on that knife.

They were waiting for Basil to return from downstairs (he had gone to the basement for something), and Ben noticed that Keith was very deep in thought, his eyebrows knitted together and his arms folded on his chest. Buizel's whimpers and teasing for some fun weren't getting to him, and he hadn't moved from where he had stood when he finished chopping the vegetables.

"Ben," his voice was low, and firm.

"Hm?"

"Did you notice something?"

Ben gazed skeptically at his teacher, not sure as to what the Ranger meant.

"Sorry," Keith shook his head. "I mean… remember anything from what Basil had said back at his office with Leanne?"

"About the book?" Ben raised an eyebrow. "He sure put a lot of planning, archiving all the books from the mansion digitally in case the mansion was destroyed."

"And," Keith followed up quickly. "He had said that he never read these books because they were in ancient script."

"Well, he could have gotten a translator."

"True," the redhead agreed. "But… my brother, Ed, he was called here a while ago, in these five years…"

He trailed off, and Ben realized what had been done. Everything fell into place, why Kate was here, how she got around, how Basil finished the program in advance. It all made sense. The young Ranger averted his pale face away from his teacher, hoping that the man was too deep in thought to realize how strange he was acting. So Basil knew that Kate was here…

"I'm back!" The front door opened and Rand stepped into the house, kicking off his dirt-ridden shoes and slipping to clean slippers. He trudged into the living room and noticed that Keith and Ben were in the kitchen.

"Oh, you two are back already."

"Welcome back, Rand," Ben smiled appreciatively. "Basil, Keith, and I are making dinner right now. Leanne's downstairs with Nema. She seems to have gotten to something that can help our mission."

"Oh, that's good," Rand nodded, surprised, curious, and impressed at the same time. "Well… I just got back from the Wireless Tower. Unfortunately, repairs are unfortunately taking longer than I thought. "

"Oh, so we'll be cut off from the Union for a bit longer," Ben pondered. He seemed to answer everything, while Keith stayed still, not responding, and still lost in his thoughts. Basil returned quickly into the kitchen, sending Rand a quick hello. Dinner went smoothly as usual, and the evening debrief started shortly after. Leanne had gone off to a quiet room in the house to read the book scans, while Nema, after much persuasion, was able to join everyone in the office. Ben was asked to tell everything that had happened, and the reactions were just as expected.

"The Chief of the Ranger Union is here?" Rand dropped his jaw. "I-I didn't think the situation was this bad."

"It isn't," Keith drawled. "He managed to come here out of the sheer reason that we had lost communications. The man gets caught in emotions too easily, he sometimes makes irrational decisions."

"If that's so, then I worry about the Ranger Union's well being," Rand agreed worriedly. "But it's been standing for many years as it had been before. I'm sure things are fine as they are."

"So," Basil tried to direct them back on the subject. "We should talk about the Wireless Tower."

"Oh, right."

Rand described certain points that they should know. So far, they had the people and Pokemon to fix it (courtesy of the hospitable Cocona Village), but progress was slow. Windy heights like the Wireless Tower were dangerous. With the strange absence of the usually abundant Staraptor, reconstruction won't be easy. However, whoever was involved in the operation should know about this.

"I wrote a report of everything that happened up to this point," Rand spoke to Ben. "So I hope you can relay this to Murph from Union."

The man held out an orange manila envelope, written neatly on the blank side as if he was going to ship it to Almia, literally.

"I don't think we need a letter," Ben spoke up.

"But," Keith tried to reason. "We should bring it with us anyway. We're going tomorrow, so we might not remember everything from today."

His student agreed and willfully took the envelope to his hands delicately as if it were made of glass. After the meeting, he and Koa returned to their designated bedroom for rest. Keith, of all people, decided to stay up to do something, probably take a few rounds to make sure no one would try to bomb Basil's house or something. They all had faith in the complexity of the security system, but machines weren't absolute. Someone had to look out for attacks.

He lay in bed restless for another hour, his mind plagued by who he met, who he thought about, who he wanted to see. He was worried about Keith. How much was his teacher getting on to the fact that Kate might be here? How much did he know? What was Kate doing here of all things?

His mind was filled with Summer's name everywhere whenever he thought of something. Red Eyes thought he had died in the fall. Did he tell Summer? The girl wouldn't take that well at all. How long had it been, a few days? He couldn't bear to believe she had persevered these agonizing days believing that she was alone. He could imagine finding her in the same cell he had once been in, curled up into a pitiful ball and whispering his name, or anyone she knew better. He even wondered if he could even get her back, perhaps ask Keith to propose a deal to get her back. Nonetheless, he wanted Summer back, where she could be the one to listen to what he had been wondering but never speaking out loud about. Koa always brightened his day, but he wished Summer would be here to give him a hug and tell him that everything will get straightened out.

He felt his little Partner rolling on the pillow in its sleep, and the young Ranger too felt compelled to close his eyes and dream of pitch black for the rest of the night.

* * *

><p>NOTES:<p>

[1] Other than a pretty bad way to wrap a chapter together, I originally didn't plan on Kate showing up before Ben like this at all (she was supposed to come out later), but with the extra plot complications, and more webs of deception, I guess bringing her out and having Ben know of her presence won't be so bad.

[2] Major correction: Instead of being pretty fat, Murph will terribly skinny (he's been described as slim back in the first story), so I'm just following through with it. He not that bad-looking, but he's so normal (and skinny), that he's pretty nondescript and usually underestimated or ignored. I'm guessing as the chief, you sorta get your own custom "uniform" so Murph wears classy suits because he can (that's the only thing that will keep my crack ship alive)

[3] Murph had a Slowpoke as his partner in the first game. It's gotten more badass. Also, Slowkings are known to be highly intelligent, capable of understanding and speaking the human language.

* Calling back to the time when Kate really sucked at cooking and Keith had to help her make something decent.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** _More crack pairings, because I can, and they're fun to write about. I'm gonna really milk out this part for all its worth for development (so expect another chapter of fluff)._


	13. Unconditional Kindness

**Tracks of Light**

**Chapter 13 – Unconditional Kindness**

* * *

><p>Red Eyes, despite his cold demeanor, always aimed to be as courteous as possible to anyone on his ship, regardless of their rank. He saw little reason to bark angrily at grunts when they couldn't control themselves. They would never heed a good earful, but they would quiver in fear if they received a smooth icy glare from their superior. He could deal with even the strongest of henchmen, and the trickiest of jokesters.<p>

However, he never understood how to deal with children. Young children knew nothing about the harsher points of life, and they could ask the silliest of questions. That certain Ranger girl he had custody of was no exception.

He had kept her captive for a few days since he last saw the new duo of Rangers who came as backup. Red Eyes really thought that the boy had died getting hit by his plasma cannon and hurtled straight into the ocean. This turned the girl into an emotional wreck when he took her in. He had told her that she was a hostage, but she must have heard nothing of it. He had placed her in one of the empty bunkers (they had no convenient place to keep prisoners) with some of his subordinates guarding the doorway. The Pinchers' leader knew the girl wouldn't be attempting to escape anytime soon.

Red Eyes was quite shocked to see that Ben, that young boy Ranger, had actually survived. He didn't even seem to be wearing a cast or have any injuries. He was all intact. Normally, he would drop anything he was holding, believing that he had seen a ghost, but that really was Ben in the flesh. Just how in the world did that boy survive a hit and a fall? Not even a full grown adult could have survived that height, in the ocean, for goodness's sake!

He did exchange a few words with Ben before departing, fully believing the boy really wasn't a ghost, and that boy was the real deal, with no sign of injuries. His more observant subordinates commented about his strange pallor that day, and he shook it off as slight air sickness. He paid regular visits to their hostage, who was entirely unresponsive.

She looked dead, her eyes glazed over, and she looked like she hadn't moved from her spot other than to eat or drink. Even then, she ate very little, even though he and the guards would push her to take something more than a few nibbles. For once, he felt like he could pity the girl.

"Hey," he tried to get to her, but the girl didn't respond. Heck, he didn't even know what her name was (he never liked looking up on people's names). He remembered it being something about seasons, since Ben had demanded that he bring her back. What was that boy? Her boyfriend?

"Heey," he prolonged his words again, but the young Ranger only hugged her knees closer to her chest, blocking out all sound. He sighed. She really looked like those traumatized kids that rock back and forth in an insane asylum or in the brutal streets of Orre. She was pitiful, and Red Eyes, having had four days with this, decided to just give it up.

"He's alive," He said simply. "Your friend, that is."

This caused a jolt from the girl, and she looked up blearily at Red Eyes. What came out of her mouth didn't even sound like her brazen self at all. She was defeated, tired, and parched.

"You're lying."

"No, I'm not," Red Eyes said coolly. "Your friend… he is alive and well. He was chasing after me a few days ago."

The girl didn't move from her place, still staring at him. Her face was mixed with feelings with distrust, relief, and doubt. Hearing words like that from Red Eyes really had no value, since he could lie whenever he wanted. The Ranger was clever, he thought, and she wasn't buying his words, despite the fact that it was the truth.

"Would you like proof?"

The young ginger said nothing in return, and he merely passed a video tablet towards her. It slid to her feet, and she stared curiously at it. She slowly picked it up, and stared at a view of Ben staring agape at the camera as it took off from the sky, his own form becoming smaller and smaller. She could little dots of other people gathering around him, and they all retreated back elsewhere.

"On my honor," Red Eyes added solemnly, knowing she'd try to refute this. "This is directly from my Z.Z. Flyer, and it wasn't edited (the footage is too choppy to do it anyways)… Oh. Your name was Summer, wasn't it?"

Summer's fingers shook so much that she had dropped the poor video tablet onto the floor. She curled up into a small ball and began to sob. Red Eyes could only watch quietly as she cried her heart out, ignoring that she had spectators. After a while, she pulled herself back against the wall, muttering things, and Red Eyes, having had enough of her woes, left her behind in the empty bunker. He was greeted again by saluting Pinchers, and he asked them to continue guarding. He could see that their faces were uneasy, and he couldn't agree more. Summer was unstable, and she needed more time.

* * *

><p>Summer hid her face from the rest of the world behind her arms and knees, her cries returning to choked sobs. She shouldn't be giving into that Red Eyes's trick to give her a hope spot. Next thing, he could come back here another day and say that he finally managed to kill Ben. She couldn't bear to imagine what she would do or say after that.<p>

The Ranger looked back at the video tablet that had died from impact with the floor. Everything in there was truly real, all so very real. Nothing could replicate the desperate glimmer in Ben's eyes whenever he was on a mission, and nothing could fake his movements. Ben was Ben, a special Ranger of his own.

And that was where she felt that she had failed. Summer had aspired to be a Ranger not for the glory and honor, but to follow behind him, the one young boy who had saved her from death at the hands of the Pinchers. She no longer wanted to sit behind the desk to talk to him whenever he was out, but she wanted to walk and run alongside him, and feel the thrills and lows that they had whenever they had a mission. She wanted to fight alongside him, and be there. One could almost say that she was developing an unhealthy obsession for Ben, but she thought otherwise.

She knew Ben was no longer a normal human being, not after he had returned from being kidnapped by those men in black jumpsuits. She knew that he could bend the toughest of metal by sheer anger, and she knew that he ran at fast speeds when he was fired up. She even knew that with a guy like him, he probably survived a fall like that. He was too perfect.

But perfect things had the worst of flaws. Summer could never find it, but she knew that there were some things to be expected. Perhaps he didn't actually have that much invulnerability as she thought he would, and thus he would have died when Red Eyes shot him and sent him plunging into the ocean from the height of an airplane. That was what she had feared the most.

However, Ben survived. And he was carrying out the mission like he was supposed. She not only felt relief, but guilt. Had she not acted so rashly, he wouldn't have gone through this much trouble, and Summer herself wouldn't have been taken hostage. What would he think of her now that she had screwed up most of their plans? What would he say when he came to rescue her, no, if he even bothered to rescue her? And all she wished was to follow him and be useful to him. She had failed.

She continued to stay huddled against the wall, hoping that Red Eyes would return. He seemed to be the only way she could reach the world outside now, and she wanted to know more. She needed to.

* * *

><p><em>Morgan Sullivan was no slouch. She had understood that being born in the slums of Orre and being a girl meant death and lack of chastity. She knew at a young age that when her parents could no longer pay the large suited man, she and Kenneth were going to be thrown out into the streets, prey for the hungry beasts that lay beyond the comfort of their door. She hid herself and her brother well, away from the raiding lowlifes that thought that a gun was the best way to command power.<em>

_Rag dolls were the last vestige of what her old home was. While her parents were never really around for her and Kenneth, she could remember the quiet and kind girls who sat around in the marketplace, and when her mother strayed from her, she was taught the art of sewing little patches of worthless cloth together to make something that was valuable._

_Kenneth was only four back then. Morgan herself was still surprised she could carry the boy around, and she prided her strength at that time, recalling the day when she kicked an adult predator right in the balls when he tried to touch her. She was fast, too, since she dashed away from the alley with a child on her back, right into the market to hide herself. But for Kenneth, she could say that she raised him well. He spoke politely (the best he could), and he was soon one of the fastest kids around the dumps, even faster than she was. Morgan could tell that her own little brother would easily become an athlete, surpassing herself._

_But boys grew fast, and she wasn't prepared for the day Kenneth began to say strange things. Morgan had made sure that he knew his street smarts, and that he always came straight back to their place when the sun came down. She was sure he could make the right decision for the both of them. But when she heard his words, her confidence in him was gone, and she dreaded what he would do next._

_"Morg, I killed someone."_

* * *

><p>Murph sat before the table, gaping in disbelief. Did Blue Eyes just agree to whatever he asked of her?<p>

"I'll," she said reluctantly. "I'll be punished for this when I get back, but there's no use waiting for anyone."

The chief took a few moments to let her words sink in before jumping out of his desk.

"That's great!" The man returned to exuberant behavior. "I don't know what caused you to change your mind, but I'm glad you're helping us with this interrogation."

Blue Eyes could only stare hesitantly at the man who got excited over unnecessary things. She had been persuaded well the first night by an old friend just to spill the beans to this excuse of a Union Chief. She really thought he could stay cool and collected, but seems like he didn't.

She thought over about the deal that had been made between herself and that woman. It was a strange request, after all those questions (mainly personal ones), and she was somehow more than willing to agree to it. It was a good offer for herself, something that was better than remaining here in the dark. The deal would do greater good for her younger brother as well…

For the rest of the day, she had been forced to sit here long enough to just talk to this man across from the desk. She did end up saying something important, but that wasn't what took up the entire day. She prolonged the time spent, not because she was stalling time, but because Murph liked to talk. A lot. Their interrogations became casual conversations (with some reluctance on her part), and they began digressing to plants.

"Geraniums are really good for home décor," Murph beamed. Blue Eyes didn't say anything to him as she observed how irritating his face was when he ogled over uncalled for things.

"Well, I prefer orchids," she said sullenly.

"Orchids?" Murph gave her answer a bit more thought. "Well, I guess… but which one?"

"I don't know," The woman frowned. "Any one. I usually don't care about what color it is."

"Blue."

Blue Eyes blinked at the man, as if he were a baby who learned his first word, "I'm sorry?"

"Blue," Murph explained, grinning. "I think blue orchids would be something that suits you. Something that matches your eyes."

The Pinchers' leader's flushed face contorted into a glower. Was Murph flirting with her?

"Oh!" the man seemed to realize what he had forgotten. "Well, remember when you mentioned some guy named Red yesterday?"

Blue Eyes caught her tongue before she said anything. Her slip-ups on unnecessary information would be bad for herself, and for the Pinchers. Murph was pondering the meaning of "Red" as he drummed his fingers on his desk, his contemplation making Blue Eyes dread every second of it.

"I got a report from Ben and Keith this morning," The chief smiled, snapping his fingers. "Red Eyes. Does that name ring a bell to you?"

Blue Eyes frowned at him. Either he figured it out, or he missed it by that much.

"Yes," She said evenly. "He is another leader of the Pinchers."

"Well…" Murph shrugged. "Rand's report was pretty detailed. He sounds like someone who looks like you or something."

"Just because we look similar," Blue Eyes said defensively. "Doesn't mean that we're related."

"Related?" Murph stood up again. "You mean he's your brother?"

"Brother?!" Blue Eyes gawked at him accusingly. "Why would you say that?!"

The chief stared at her for a few moments before snapping his fingers as if something had just dawned on him.

"Aha!" His lips curved into a knowing smile, one that Blue Eyes was beginning to dread whenever she said something insignificant. Just with some details, he just added guesswork and somehow jumped to the conclusion about what she wanted to say, and his guesses were spot on. Her defensive behavior didn't help much either. She was sure that her face was a gaping mess at this point, but she recomposed herself as he sat back down, his eyes scheming. The Pinchers' leader didn't like that about him. It seemed like he knew everything about her, and he was only teasing her to confirm the information.

"What?"

"So Red Eyes is your brother," Murph nodded to himself.

"So Red Eyes is your brother," Murph nodded to himself.

"No, he isn't," Blue Eyes asserted, hoping she could urn the situation around into her own hands.

"But you said so."

"I never did."

Murph seemed to pause in thought, mulling over the strangeness in her words. The longer he pondered, the deeper Blue Eyes felt suffocated. He was strange man, talking and then thinking whenever he wanted.

"I am sorry to say," Murph's smooth words finally rolled out of his tongue. "That you're right. You have a brother, I see."

"What?" Blue Eyes was confused, and he smiled resolutely.

"I did some research before asking."

The chief held up a packet of papers and slid them forward for her to see. Pictures of herself and pictures of Red Eyes peeked out from under the yellow manila folder, and she could see records and match tests. The Pinchers' leader looked up at the man on fright. How did he get all of this? The people of Orre were supposed to nameless! Anonymous!

"How?!"

"I asked the Police," Murph shrugged. "Did you really think they are that incompetent? We keep tabs on almost everything. Orre or not. You, Morgan Sullivan, are no exception." [1]

Blue Eyes cringed at the mention of her real name. She had abandoned it for her career and she made sure no one knew about her. A hitman should never leave any traces of his or her existence. She was so careful, but all she had was this man tearing at these walls she had built so finely.

"So," Murph took back the folders. "Tell me about yourself, Blue Eyes. I promise to not call you Morgan, and you had already promised to tell me everything. Deal?"

* * *

><p><em>Morgan could not object to her younger brother's refusal to eat the next day. He stayed inside for the next two weeks, shivering and burying his face in his hands. Kenneth would tell the same story, with no new details, over and over again to her, so much she still remembered it by heart now. He would not believe her words that they were in the deepest part of the city, and no one would find them there.<em>

_"They'll find me, Morg," he whimpered like a madman. "They'll find me."_

_She could see that Kenneth was beginning to speak only for himself, and not for the both of them, and the day came when she never saw him the next day. His bed was made, neatly like she taught him, but there were no letter that told her that he went out to get the usual food and money. She and the other children ran around the city, calling for his name, but to no avail._

_Morgan was left wondering where her brother could be as her fears took over her. Whoever he killed was someone important, and whatever family he belonged to, they must have gone after Kenneth and took him away, making him a mere ghost. She was left thinking the same thing for a year, until a thunderous day in the desert city of Phenac City left her in tears._

* * *

><p>Suddenly the day after, Red Eyes began to hear complaints from his subordinate guards who were posted at their hostage's bunker. He could only guess that telling Summer the news of Ben's survival made her the cocky brat she had been days ago. That girl had terrible mood swings, he thought. Once he had heard enough from the guards, he excused them, much to their delight, and let them go on patrol. He was to confront the young Ranger by himself.<p>

He opened the door, expecting that the girl would launch herself at him and wrestle for the door, but he found her sitting on the top bunk, legs swinging at the side. So she knows how well this place is inescapable, Red Eyes thought. At least she wasn't one of those commonly hotheaded girl Rangers he met on a daily basis.

"You seem better," he said dryly as he stayed at the door. Summer frowned at him as she leapt down from the top bunk. However, her feet collapsed from under her, and she cried out. Red Eyes didn't move from his place as she groaned and pulled herself against the bed. Well, at least he didn't have to worry about her escaping any time soon.

"What?" the girl asked accusingly. "I bet that was funny, wasn't it?"

"Why waste the time to?" Red Eyes replied coolly. "You should know that I wouldn't laugh at a mere little girl spraining her ankle from jumping from a bed. I will ask someone to give you ice when I'm done here."

Summer didn't answer positively, but she couldn't argue against that. He was nice enough tell her that Ben was alive. He was even kind enough to keep her in a bunker rather than in chains in the basement where she saw no one. The Ranger felt she had to be civil to the man as much as possible, even if he was the enemy. However, the man was a bastard not to get her ice immediately. Her ankle hurt like hell.

"Why are you here anyways?"

"Strange things have been going on," Red Eyes mused, as if he were discussing yesterday's morning stories. "Blue Eyes has been captured by the enemy, namely your friend, Ben."

"Ben?" Summer's voice sounded like she was surprised, and very proud. She seemed to still be adjusting to the good news that he was still alive, and she was even happier that her partner was succeeding in the mission. However, she seemed to look doubtful.

"As a leader of the Pinchers," Summer retorted. "You're not angry at all?"

"I don't think I should be," Red Eyes shrugged. "As a colleague, I can't say very much. It's not good that she's not able to do anything now, but there is little effect to my plans."

"Your own?" Summer was intrigued, and disturbed. "Do you all have separate agendas?"

"More or less," the man sighed. "We're only a loose organization of poachers. There is one common goal, but that's not everyone's real goal. All this is voluntary, you know."

Summer slinked back from him, considerably confused. She was not afraid, but rather, ridiculing him.

"Why are you even telling me all of this?" Summer raised the question. "Don't you have any top brass subordinates who you tell your plans to and stuff?"

Red Eyes gave her a thoughtful look, realizing that he was confiding in her rather than his own followers, but at least she could talk back. Anyone who worked under him feared him, for his name, and for his position. If he even tried to lift them to his level, they would immediately slink back in fear that their opinion wasn't going to matter. And he had thought his team was full of better poachers than that.

"You seem to be the only one willing to talk around here," he said simply. "You don't see me offering any conversation to anyone, do you?"

"I've never been out of this cell," Summer returned dryly. "So I can't answer that."

"Well, you're merely a prisoner," Red Eyes explained. "It would do you good to obey me, just as I say. I wanted you to listen, so isn't that a command?"

"Well, duh," the Ranger rolled her eyes. "A very stupid idea. You're just giving me ideas to take you all down before your plans even unfold themselves."

"And how will you do that?"

"Very simple," she answered coyly. "But I wouldn't tell you anyways. Now, doesn't that make me smarter than you?"

"Not unless I use brute force on you."

"Go ahead. It won't work."

"A death threat."

"I'd still not tell, even if my life depended on it."

"What about on your dear Ranger friends?"

"I believe they have more strength than you do. You'd never beat them face to face."

Red Eyes pulled back from the girl, observing her playful grin. They were only bantering nonsense at this point, and he began to wonder why having small-talk with prisoners would do any good.

"You're got guts more than the last time we met," Red Eyes commented with a tinge of scorn. "I kinda wish I didn't tell you that Ben was alive."

"Too bad," Summer answered him flatly. "But why are you asking me about threatening me? You should have done that ages ago, torturing me for information. So why ask me about it now?"

The red leader of the Pinchers frowned at her. True, he should have done that earlier, but he hadn't done so. Perhaps she was far past the point of talking at that point, he feared he wouldn't be able to get information. He had been fairly well at interrogations, whether or not it was about someone young or old, he still got the job done.

During the long pause, Summer's expression deepened into a frown, and she looked up at the ceiling, as if she were choosing her words carefully.

"T-Thank you, then, for being so generous."

"Generous?" Red Eyes raised an eyebrow at the girl.

"You went out of your way to tell me about Ben," the Ranger was partially reluctant about admitting some level of defeat. "But you did sorta save me, didn't you?"

"Yes…" the man said reluctantly. He couldn't pinpoint why he had kept her alive and well. He honestly couldn't see why he had any reason to, since a ruthless man like himself should stick to his rules and never change them.

"You're a kind man after all, Red Eyes."

The man looked at Summer, surprised by her comments.

"Why do you say so? Saving you doesn't make me a kind person."

"Because," Summer smiled. "I can see someone like you being all powerful, but you haven't decided to use it yet. Clearly, you're from Orre, aren't you? I'm sure you would get lots of weapons and use it on the people here, but you haven't. Oblivia's pretty quiet and shut out from the rest of the world, so it would be pretty easy, wouldn't it?"

The Ranger was right, Red Eyes thought. He and the people who commanded him should have done this. But why not…? He had remembered the rules he were taught, but not who taught him…

"Someone showed me not to be needlessly violent," Red Eyes finally said, and Summer looked up in interest. "I don't remember who this person is, but it was a long time ago."

"Oooh," The ginger grinned mischievously. "Is it a childhood friend? Is it a girl? If it is, she would make a good girlfriend for you."

Summer found it weird that a villain was telling her his own past, as if he were reciting a book to her, but no matter. This was interesting. Far more interesting than sitting her and wondering when someone would break into this place to get her out.

"That's not it," Red Eyes frowned at her. "I don't remember if the person was a guy or a girl. It's just words now…"

* * *

><p><em>She recalled her age… Sixteen, wasn't it? She was sixteen on that day, and it was surprisingly her "recognized" birthday. The children have already paid her visits, and they left before sunset, so she was alone, by herself. She had done much without her brother, and she was fortunate to find an abandoned Glock in the ruins. Morgan eventually got it fixed, and she and several other older children had trained themselves. The children were a self-sustaining separate species now, their own community and "government."<em>

_She was asked to patrol the usual boundaries of the slums (as per her friend's reluctant quest), and she heard a man, screaming, and pleading, right in the end of the twenty-second alley from her place. She ran to see what was going on, and she was in for a surprise._

_A young boy with blond hair was holding a grown man by the throat, and he delivered a stomach retching punch before letting go. Morgan, amazed and afraid, couldn't move when thoughts ran through her head. The red eyes were the same, so was the red endings of blond hair. She was sure this was no mistake, this was Kenneth._

_But he was too different. He wore black, all black, and he looked like he was wearing something that only the highest of families could wear. Kenneth carried an almost suffocating aura, Morgan was sure she would faint if she got any closer. His eyes were no longer kind or even cold, but menacing, just like every predator she met when she was still ten years old._

_"You better leave," he said bitterly. "I'm going to slash your throat if you don't run fast, girl."_

_Morgan did as she was told, and she ran, as fast as her long legs would carry her, back to her place. She ignored anyone's worried comments, and she shut the door behind her, and began to cry. He only called her "girl." There was no tenderness in his voice. He no longer cared._

_He had no memory of her._

* * *

><p>"Ah, I see…"<p>

Blue Eyes glared at Murph. Did the man listen at all? She was not repeating this another time for him, if he asked. She could not understand what he was feeling or thinking at the time as he stared intently at her face. He was just staring into space. If she wasn't restrained to the chair, she would've slapped him awake.

"That's I all I needed to ask about," he quickly rose from his chair, and he left the place. She had no time to shout after him, and she stayed put, sulking about how nothing useful had happened to her so far. This was a day from then, and she learned another thing about Murph. He had a habit of cutting off their interrogations and just walking out. Just what kind of man was Murph?

"If you mind," a man's voice excused himself into the room, and the door locked itself. Blue Eyes didn't move as the man revealed himself to be the blue haired one who was guarding the ship. She found it strange that Murph had no other bodyguards or extra Rangers guarding the ship, so she could assume that the chief had much faith in this blue haired man, and that this man was pretty strong, to defend a critical area for the Rangers by himself. Her curiosity peaked, as she eyed the man standing before her.

"So," Blue Eyes noted to the blue haired man. She knew this man from the international papers on two different occasions. The first was his step down from leading a criminal organization and the second was re-emerging from his sentence beside one of the world's greatest innovators.

"You must that Ice, the VP of Davies Tech."

The man didn't seem fazed by her words, his face collected and reserved. The two of them didn't have any time to talk at all, since he entered and left the office as quickly as he could.

"What of it?"

"Not much," Blue Eyes drawled. "Just remembered you were big name back in Orre when your pretty organization's secrets came out."

Ice stiffened at the mention of what she was referring to, and he turned his head away from her sight. She knew how to prod at his bad points, but he wasn't going to let this pass.

"And so you know about what Dim Sun had done," he countered coolly. "It's not special anymore. It's just something that exists in history books now."

"You're oddly slack about that," Blue Eyes frowned at him. "Why the change, though? You really turned on your heel, changing sides."

Blue Eyes's question was very off from what he expected, but he already had the answer to that common question he would receive at every interview he had.

"Kindness," he said. "Unconditional kindness. Had it not been for that, I would be rotting away in my jail cell like the rest of my former comrades. There were people ready to forgive me, so I moved on, with new loved ones."

The woman snorted in response. Murph had mentioned the man's personal life. She wasn't sure why he would know that, though.

"People like that are hard to get by nowadays," Blue Eyes rolled her eyes. "Especially from where I come from. Everyone's for themselves and the closest relation you had was the little rag doll you had in your hands."

"Oh, really?" Ice stared back doubtfully. "I don't think kind people are hard to find. You've just met one yourself five minutes ago. He may not look like the part, but he genuinely cares. He hasn't even touched a single hair on your body."

Blue Eyes's face immediately turned red. What Ice said was true, but how? Murph was a clumsy fool who was blind to everything by the bright side of things. But he could talk her into submission and had never laid a finger on her. The strange two sided man baffled her, so much she had spent too much time alone in this chamber wondering how a person could be two opposite things. Ice noticed the strange heated embarrassment on Blue Eyes's cheeks and merely chuckled. He wasn't sure if either of them was on the right page, but she seemed to get the point of who he meant.

* * *

><p><em>Ten years, and Blue Eyes finally made it. She had suffered tears and blood climbing ranks, finding information, and chasing around criminals. She was at the same level as everyone elite. She was no longer Morgan Sullivan, but Blue Eyes, the mysterious woman whom families yearned to hire for her services, and she left no trace of her missions. None at all.<em>

_"You're just like Red Eyes," a mafia boss said. "He leaves nothing behind at all. He even looks like you. You sure you're not siblings?"_

_"No," her voice came out coldly. "I don't think that's possible at all."_

_The man raised his eyebrows at her in doubt, but he let it slide. He was only a simple man, after all._

_Blue Eyes took her promised pay, and she returned to her temporary base, a high-rise apartment, right in the upper heart of Phenac City. The first thing she did was wash her hands thoroughly. She didn't feel great at all when she did this, but her hands smelled better with soap than nothing else. Besides, she had to leave again, this place. At least the soap smelled nice here. _

_She dressed smartly, in a full length dress that dazzled onlookers when she emerged from her room, suitcase in hand. Blue Eyes paid no mind to the crowd that followed behind her, and she entered the ballroom downstairs, where everyone was her kind of people, in all their finery and chattering jobs and deals._

_The woman helped herself to a drink the servants were passing around to newcomers, and joined with the small crowd of people. It was good to be favorable to previous employers, and this one was something she should keep._

_The man was rather young for a mafia boss, and she learned that the only reason he got the position was because he surprisingly strong and his mother was the boss of this powerful family. He was well-mannered, she recalled, and his bodyguards were mostly courteous. Usually this family carried seven bodyguards, but today, she noticed the presence of more than that._

_"Oh," the young boss smiled. "I decided to bring my trusted partners over to the auction. Aside from my bodyguards, I've brought three of my couriers."_

_Two of them were very buff, but very kind men, and Blue Eyes appreciated their company, but the third was most mysterious._

_It was a woman with light brown hair, and a single blue eye. She seemed to have faced hell in her life, judging from her eyepatch, which she had told her would be replaced soon. What further made her so recognizable was the very terrible scar that ran down across the right side of her face with the eyepatch. Blue Eyes saw little terror in it, since she has seen worse, but to see it on such a young woman, she was amazed. The woman was sure that this courier was even younger than she was._

_Their conversation was simple, about how they did on the previous jobs, and what the auction would sound like, or if anything in the auction was worth anything, but the female courier decided to push it against her._

_"Did you join this for family?"_

_Blue Eyes thought out her response, and replied carefully._

_"I don't believe so. Not anymore."_

_"I see," the courier looked up at the very expensive chandelier. "I guess I can consider that's the same for me, too."_

_Before Blue Eyes could ask more, the woman was gone, and she could see that the courier had lost interest in her, and settled to talk with the others in her party. Blue Eyes saw nothing of it, and continued to see who else she knew in this party, until she came face to face with an elderly man._

_"Hello, Blue Eyes. May I offer you a job?"_

* * *

><p>"Ben, you're back! And Koa, too!"<p>

The Ranger smiled as he stepped onto the wooden docks to meet with Murph. His partner was just as excited, since they were called here by Murph minutes ago. All they had done so far was help around the two islands, patrolling and reporting. Keith and Rand were still working on the Wireless Tower, and Leanne was shut in the house with Basil, attempting to figure out more about the Signs.

"How is that person?" Ben asked. He hadn't really addressed Blue Eyes by her alias since then, and despite his aversion to anything related to the Pinchers, he had to feel sorry for the woman, being shut in the ship with no indication of time.

"She's been pretty cooperative now," Murph smiled. "Don't know what happened before, but we've got lots of stuff to build upon. She hasn't lied at all, either."

"Oh."

"But, she did say more things than what we needed," Murph shrugged. "It's pretty interesting, but I had to use it to get her to talk more, though."

"What do you mean?"

"You can see the similarities, can't you?" Murph tried to hint. "Blue Eyes. And Red Eyes."

Ben was shocked at what he meant, until he connected things together. It did make sense, but how in the world did Murph come up with that?

"They're siblings?"

"Seems like it," Murph shrugged. "Blue Eyes did go on to say more, but it's a pretty complicated story, something you'd see in a soap opera."

The Ranger saw that the chief was clamming up, and he didn't ask more. He looked back at the ship, wondering more about Blue Eyes, and he looked back at Murph.

"So what happened?"

"Hmm?" Murph raised an eyebrow. "Didn't I tell you already? She told us stuff, and that's all."

"So," Ben frowned. "Didn't she say anything valuable?"

"We'll be discussing that tonight," Murph sighed. "Don't you worry about that."

Koa's excited chatter stopped as it jumped off of Ben's shoulder. The Pichu crouched into a feral stance, and growled at the unexpected newcomer. Ben quickly raised his fists, ready to strike in necessary, and Murph's face hardened into a glare.

The chief was surprised that only one Pincher came to the grounds all by himself. Ben hadn't said anything about other enemies in the vicinity (Murph swore that the boy had godly spider senses), so the chief himself questioned the abilities of these Pinchers. He was sure that a Pincher would never even venture alone, but hiding one's presence was a very difficult task if one wanted to hide from Ben, or Keith, for that matter.

"You're pretty good, Rangers," he applauded them. "Kidnapping Blue Eyes is pretty impressive."

The man who arrived wore red, unlike the usual green uniforms. Not to mention, his hair was blonde with red endings. Murph was sure this was the man he was looking for.

"I don't think I'd like to call this kidnapping," Murph replied icily. "You must be Red Eyes, aren't you?"

Ben looked at Murph, realizing that the man had held his tongue afterwards. He probably didn't want to say any more of his knowledge of their captive's relations. Red Eyes was most pleased that Murph had done his homework, and he

"Yes, I am."

"And you would like her back," Murph added and waved pointedly to his surroundings. "But I'm sorry to say that we cannot hand her over so easily."

"Oh, playing coy, aren't you?" the blonde was most excited by the challenge. "I will have to take it by force. Blue Eyes is a valuable associate. I want her back as soon as possible."

However, a gust of wind rushed past his face, and in an instant, he saw Ben with a hand at his neck, threatening to crush his windpipe. His little Pichu was very unsettled as well, and it stood behind him, threatening uselessly with little sparks jumping out of its cheeks. Red Eyes could see through this bluff, that a young Ranger like Ben would never do such a thing, but he had to admit that the aura the boy carried himself with at the moment was truly something to be terrified about. He was so surprised he had flinched, and now he had no room of getting out. Murph was now at a clear advantage.

"How about a prisoner swap?" he proposed. "We would like a certain young Ranger under your captivity, Summer. I'm sure you have kept her alive for this moment, haven't you?"

Murph didn't sound entirely desperate about getting one of his young subordinates back, but only Ben could hear a small quaver in his voice. Ben was worried himself, about Summer. He knew nothing of the Pinchers' abilities and strength, he hoped this man would be merciful to keep her alive at all.

"Your fellow Ranger, Summer, for my colleague Blue Eyes," Red Eyes seemed hesitant. His eyes scanned the length of the ship behind him, until his eyes laid upon something, and then looked back at Murph, with more decisive air.

"There's no way I can say no."

Murph gave a pleased, crafty smile, one that Ben would never believe would fall upon his chief's face.

"Okay! It's decided!" The Chairman of the Ranger Union clapped his hands together. "We'll meet you at the Daybreak Ruins, east of Tilt Village. Ben, you may stand clear now."

Ben backed away from Red Eyes cautiously, not sure if the man would try to fight back once he let his guard down. The red leader of the Pinchers was not even budging a single muscle when he had leapt at the man. Ben wondered how intrepid this man really was.

"I'll be waiting for you there," Red Eyes nodded willingly, but his answer was directed at Ben. "However, you and Blue Eyes should come alone. If you bring anyone else with you, I can't guarantee Summer's safety."

Ben snarled at the man, "You…"

"Stand down, Ben," Murph asserted to the boy before looking at Red Eyes with a smile. "Okay, I'll allow that. I have enough trust in Ben to say that he'll let everything proceed smoothly as we have agreed just now."

"I am a man of my word," Red Eyes bowed before strolling away out of the town. It wouldn't do for him to take off on a Flyer in the middle of town.

"What now?" Ben looked at Murph. His superior shrugged.

"Well, just like we said. You take Blue Eyes to Daybreak Ruins and meet up with Blue Eyes. I think it's a good deal. At this point, I don't think we have anything else to pull out of Blue Eyes anymore, so it's best that she returns to the Pinchers. And you want Summer back, don't you?"

Murph's reasoning quickly persuaded Ben to agree with the plan, and the chief cheerfully headed back into the Union. He quickly passed by Ice, who seemed to understand what he planned to do next, and he unlocked the room for him.

The chief could see that his Slowking was still restraining Blue Eyes to the chair. He quickly gave a snap, and the Pokemon relinquished its hold on the blue leader of the Pinchers. It willingly returned to its respective Pokeball, and Murph smiled as he came into Blue Eyes's view.

"What a relief for you!" he announced to her. Blue Eyes was still surprised that she had suddenly been released, and she was staring at him as if he had grown two heads. Murph could see that she didn't understand what was going on, and he gave her a hand. Ice paled at him from behind the door, wondering if the man had lost his mind.

"You're going to be set free, Blue Eyes."

The words barely registered on the woman's face as she slowly took his hand, and got up to her feet. She hadn't gotten up for a while, and her legs felt rather unsteady. What even shocked her the most was how tight her grip was on Murph's hand. She couldn't walk for a few seconds, and she was still pale from the shock.

"Why are you so downcast today, Blue Eyes?" Murph smiled at her. She looked at him, confused, and now she realized what was going on. She was going back. Back to her job. Back to her real life. She couldn't help but notice that Murph was actually her height, if not for her own heels.

Blue Eyes couldn't understand reluctance. Somehow she was glad to be returning to her dear subordinates, to her brother, to the rest of the Pinchers Organization. But why was she casually walking around here when she was supposed to be elsewhere. Why was she so empty? She thought of this as she walked beside the chief of the Ranger Union out of the ship, with Ice trailing behind closely. Murph was explaining all the details of the prisoner exchange as they reached the other end of the boat.

She shielded her eyes from the sun when she stepped out into the town harbor, and she could see that Ben was standing at the docks, waiting to take her to Daybreak Ruins. Her feet felt more unstable as she finally stepped foot on ground, and her grip on Murph's hand tightened even more that the man winced. Blue Eyes quickly let go and backed away from him, sending him last glance. For all the days she's stayed on that boat, she could only learn little about him. Her mind wanted to fulfill all the questions she had about him, but there were things that should be left unsaid.

"Ben!" Murph called out to the Ranger. "Blue Eyes's is all yours. We can finally see Summer again! Be careful. I'll see you when you return, Ben."

"Yes, sir," Ben nodded, and Blue Eyes walked over to the boy's side. She looked back at Murph, who still wore his silly grin as if he really were to see her again. Or was he only talking to Ben?

"You, too, Blue Eyes."

His voice snapped her out of his confusion, and she could see that his eyes were directed at her.

"I hope you'll be fine, wherever you are."

Once again, Blue Eyes could not interpret in what context he meant those words meant, and she was motioned by Ben to get going. The blue leader of the Pinchers turned on her heel to follow behind the Ranger. She had no possessions, and the boy was a complete super soldier, so she had no chance of running away. Thinking about escaping was not possible, but her mind lingered on the face of that strange man who grinned at everything.

* * *

><p><em>"Staying won't help anything for you, Blue Eyes."<em>

_The blue leader of the Pinchers looked up at Kate, wondering what she could mean._

_"Kenneth doesn't even need to stay, either," Kate continued. "So why don't you help us out? You know you're better than this."_

_Blue Eyes could understand what the old colleague was going to say, and she prepared her answer for it._

_"Become the inside eye for us, Blue Eyes."_

* * *

><p>NOTES:<p>

[1] Yes, everything I name has some sort of meaning (what type of person do you think I am, making up names?). Blue Eyes and Red Eyes's real names have some connotations to their aliases. Sullivan technically means "hawk-eyed." Morgan is water, I think, and Kenneth, is fire. One of them is Welsh origin, I don't remember. Speaking of which, I cannot imagine how Blue Eyes or Red Eyes would sound with an English accent (it would sound horrendous)

- I absolutely cannot write about chessmasters. My own brilliance can't really match up to geniuses to make awesome gambits, so all logic here is flawed. Sorry.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** _More focus on my crack shipping, and the great little journey before confronting Red Eyes himself. Whoa! More ass pulls!_


	14. I Wasn't Able to Say Anything

**Tracks of Light**

**Chapter 14 – I Wasn't Able to Say Anything**

* * *

><p>Summer was awoken by a loud slam of a door, and she jerked up awake. She realized she was still in the same bunker room Red Eyes had left her, and speaking of the devil…<p>

"Get up."

The command was firm, and Summer obediently hopped down to the ground. She saw that behind the door were two large male Pinchers, their arms carved by muscles, and their height rivaling even the toughest of Rangers. She had no chance of fighting them alone.

"Put this on."

Red Eyes handed her a strip of cloth, and Summer looked at him questioningly. The man pointed to his eyes, and the girl took, tying it around her head and over her eyes. Better to listen to him rather than risk a broken arm, or a leg.

With this, she was led out of the room, and down a long corridor. She could sense that Red Eyes was walking in front of her, with the other two men following suit behind her, their clothes rustling from their movements. They reached open air, where a sound of a helicopter on its launching pad was situated. Summer could hear the sounds of the ocean crashing against the cliffs, and the calls and cries of Pokemon in the forest nearby.

"Step up."

She nearly tripped on the steps into the helicopter, and she was forced to sit in the back, while the other three clambered into their respective seats on the helicopter. Summer wondered how the two big men would fit, and she was grateful that Red Eyes took one of the seats beside her, instead of two of those large men.

"Where are we going?" she asked the blonde man.

"We're taking you back," was all he said. "We're exchanging you for Blue Eyes. Consider yourself lucky."

* * *

><p>Blue Eyes watched as the young Pokemon Ranger and his partner Pichu climbed the steep road departing from Tilt Village. She didn't dare turn a knife on him, since she could feel danger and great skill coming from this boy. Rangers normally didn't pose much of a threat to her like this, but the redheaded Ranger who interrogated her, and this boy… they were an entirely different level of Rangers.<p>

Ben had stopped and looked at Blue Eyes, making sure that she didn't fall behind. The blue leader of the Pinchers couldn't help but chuckle to herself. Did that boy underestimate her stamina that much?

"What's wrong?"

The boy had caught her laugh, and she smiled at him.

"Boy," she addressed him, even if she knew his name. "Do you know where people like me come from?"

"Orre," Ben said quickly. "That's the abandoned region, right?"

"Correct," Blue Eyes smiled as she walked uphill. "And do you know what type of people comes from there?"

"Many types," his answer was brisk. "Poachers, assassins, murderers, mafiosos, hitmen, arms dealers, serial killers. Many criminals have come from Orre."

"Then what do you think of me? Can you see anything about me?"

Ben stopped, and looked back at his company. He had no answer to give her, and he seemed to pick up on the real question. Why did he not fear her, like many other Rangers did? He was a mere rookie Top Ranger, wasn't he?

"I'm familiar with people from where you lived, Blue Eyes," he grimaced as he turned around again to resume walking. "So has my teacher. They're not scary to us very much."

"Oh, so you're experienced," Blue Eyes's lips curved into the smile. Some reason, the Rangers seemed more interesting to her than she originally thought.

The rest of their climb up the hill was silent, until they arrived at front steps of Daybreak Ruins. The structure before them was a large temple built of stacked, painted stones, the motifs of fire prevalent everywhere. Blue Eyes, Koa, and Ben exchanged glances before proceeding into the temple.

"Pichu…"

Ben looked at Koa, who began to bury itself into his shoulder. He himself could understand the strange power emanating from the walls themselves. Whatever lived here must be something he should try to cross paths with.

They rounded into a long hallway, where the stairs went up and down, with no rhythm or pattern. The walls, lit with torches and cracks in the ceiling, were tiled with primitive murals of long forgotten stories or historical events. Ben wondered if Leanne had gone through these parts of Mitatonga Island yet.

Their walk was stopped short by the sudden shuffle of feet before them. Two Pinchers, both pale in the face, were panting for breath at their feet. The male Pincher was the first to speak.

"My leader!" he cried, "I'm glad you're safe."

Blue Eyes recognized her subordinates, and she nodded solemnly, "I'm sorry to have worried you..."

"I think you will agree, but it seems like a waste of time to give back a hostage as valuable as a Ranger," The female Pincher smiled, along with her companion. "We'll just take you back by force. Quilava! Ambipom! You're up!"

"Stand back, please," Ben kept a hand in front of Blue Eyes as he proceeded to face the two Pinchers with Koa. The blue leader, taken aback by the Ranger's courteousness, stayed put, and decided to watch. She had never seen the boy fight in plain daylight.

"Koa," Ben told his little partner the cue. They had figured something out for themselves the days before when they were patrolling. They had stopped by Nick and Booker's for a while, and the shipbuilder was conveniently back to get more supplies for the bridge. Nick had offered to adjust Pichu's ukulele a bit more. It wasn't until later when Ben realized what these adjustments did to the ukulele.

"Pichu!"

Koa was the first to dive into the fray, the two opponents towering over the little mouse by great numbers. It played a very fast paced tune, and the aggressive Pokemon began to slow down to a standstill. At the moment when everyone was surprised, Ben captured the Pokemon and set them free. The Ranger then ran forward, directly at the poachers, and he kicked them out of the way. The Pinchers, alarmed the strength of the Ranger, ran away in fright, screaming apologies to their dear leader. Blue Eyes, to say, was rather shocked.

"Hey, Ranger," she spoked to the Ranger. "Let's just pretend that didn't ever happen..."

She felt somewhat embarrassed, that her squad was weak against a Ranger like this. The blue leader wondered just how strong the Rangers were, just with three of them, and that chief as well.

The rest of the journey through the ruins was just as uneventful. Pinchers came out, namely in rejoice at the news of their leader's return, but they didn't seem to get the fact that this had to be carried out smoothly with no injuries whatsoever. Blue Eyes was beginning to question the attention span of her subordinates at this point.

The next encounter was a bit more different. These two Pinchers were normal, not very important, but what they brought out was rather different.

"Welcome back, my leader," the green clad man smiled and bowed. "We've been eagerly awaiting your return."

The man's eyes fell upon Koa, and his smile widened, "Hey, you little ukulele player! Remember these Pichu?"

Two Pichu emerged from behind the Pincher's legs, and Koa froze. Ben frowned at the Pinchers. What were they trying to pull this time?

"We have an offer for you, Ranger," The female Pincher stepped forward. "How about tradin' our leader for these two from Dolce Island? I think the Pichu would agree."

Ben didn't move. In fact, he was rather exasperated. Really? They wanted to trade two young Pokemon for someone so valuable. Blue Eyes seemed to have the same thing in mind.

"You guys," she drawled. "This is really insulting."

The male Pincher flinched in fear of losing favor with his leader. "Oh? Did we hurt your pride? I'm sorry, leader!"

The woman beside him gave him an armor piercing slap on the face.

"You idiot!" She scolded him. "That's why I was against this! Let's quit with the stupid tricks and use brutal force - as usual!"

Their conversation was cut short by Koa and Ben taking control of the situation, and in seconds, the captured Pichu were soundly cheering for freedom. The Pinchers, shocked at the speed of the battle, backed away slowly from the menace they called a Ranger.

"The Pichu remembered their home!"

"The leader's in a bad mood, and our Pichu were stolen. What are we doing?"

Cowards they were, they ran off in the other direction. Koa reunited with two of its friends, and Ben watched as his partner chattered happily with the other Pichu. Blue Eyes found the moment tender as well, and she looked up at the cracks in the ceiling. The Pichu have been freed, but she wondered when she would be free.

Soon, they arrived at the last room. The place was back out into the open air outside again, where trees flourished into an impenetrable wall of greenery around them. Stones were palced around the edge of the rounded "room," and large boulders were stacked up against one side of the place.

Ben and Blue Eyes looked around the chamber, for any hint of a Pincher, or anyone in general, and Blue Eyes folded her arms in exasperation.

"RE isn't even here!" she complained, and her eyes fell upon something unusual. "That has an Involith!"

Her gasp got Ben and Koa's attention as well, and they noticed a large dark slab of stone with inscriptions on it. He remembered that stone… He didn't make it in time the last time the Pinchers broke the one for Raikou. Whose Involith was this?

Blue Eyes was ecstatic, having discovered a good find at a convenient time. "I can't believe there's one in a place like this!"

However, the excitement was cut short when a roar echoed above their heads, and Ben felt the heat of a scorching entity hurtling at them. He and Blue Eyes ran back from the Involith just in time to evade a Pokemon whose feet danced with flames, a fearless orange mane emitting embers.

"Entei!" Blue eyes laughed. Ben was still gathering his senses as the blue leader of the Pinchers approached the lion. She was very excited, that she could find such a powerful Pokemon. This was on her list, but she hadn't planned it to come so soon.

"You scared me by suddenly appearing like that," she stepped forward, carrying a Control Gauntlet she had borrowed from a fallen Pincher. "We had an important negotiation to attend to. You've got no sense of tact! If you want a piece of me, I'll take you on with my Control Gauntlet."

Entei looked like it wanted to accept the challenge, but Ben noticed that Gauntlet was already straining against the power the lion carried itself with. Blue Eyes was going to get hurt at this rate. He quickly dove into battle, and yanked Blue Eyes out of harm's way. A fireball whizzed over her nose as she fell back onto the dusty ground, and Ben stepped out before her, Styler turning up. Koa, pumped up by the heat, was hopping around aggressively, the ukulele twanging whenever he jumped.

"Let me handle this," Ben told her. "You'll have to hide, though."

* * *

><p>Ben finished his capture with his Styler alerting him that a sign had been recorded. He guessed that he had more things to use after the mission, and looked back to Blue Eyes, who emerged from where she shielded herself from Entei's attack. Koa was jumping happily as Entei decided to retreat away from the ruins.<p>

"Thank you very much for saving from a dangerous spot..." the blue leader of the Pinchers said uneasily. "That's what I'd like to say, but I feel like you deprived me of a chance to show my stuff."

"There's really no point of competing to see who's best," Ben replied. "Let's just wait for Red Eyes to show up."

"I'm impressed, Ranger!"

Blue Eyes muttered about the source of the voice, as they saw people descending from an overhead helicopter. Ben saw the said blonde man, clad in his usual red uniform, with a strikingly noticeable ginger…

"Summer!" He cried out. The girl looked at him, her eyes disbelieving, but when she landed on the ground, she was held back by a simple wave of a hand by Red Eyes. Ben stepped back into a fighting stance, making sure he had time to react if Red Eyes tried anything. The first thing the man did was clap his hands.

"You got Entei to leave," he congratulated the Ranger. "And that works out very well for us. I give you my thanks."

He turned to one of his henchmen. "Hey! One of you, get the Emblem."

"Roger!"

The Pinchers behind him were set to work around the Involith. Ben felt incensed that they would go blatantly destroying ancient history before him, but he had to hold back, and let the hostage exchange run smoothly. Red Eyes returned his attention back to the Ranger.

"Well now," his words came out smoothly. "Why don't we do the hostage exchange we've all been waiting for? On my signal, we release both hostages at the same time. No funny business."

"Understood," Ben's words were clear, but then Red Eyes noticed something, and he stepped back, spotting something. He quickly drew out a gun, and shot at one of the trees surrounding them. The Pinchers were startled by their leader suddenly raising a weapon against something harmless, until they all froze in silence. The quiet was then shattered by an abrupt rustle of trees above them.

"Someone's here!" Red Eyes told his subordinates, and turned towards Ben. "I thought you were to come alone!"

"I did!" Ben frantically looked around. "But I don't know who that is!"

"Let's just go!" Blue Eyes shoved Ben aside and ran towards Red Eyes, while Summer took advantage of the confusion to return to her partner's side. The ginger ran towards her friend, and pulled him up. The boy was still confused as to who was intruding, and he could see someone rushing in between the branches of the trees as bullets were aimed at the person.

"Ben!" Summer screamed at him. "Hurry!"

Ben snapped out of his stupor, and scooped Koa up and ran after Summer, who began dragging him through the entrance. Red Eyes noticing that the two Rangers were attempting to escape quickly, turned on his Gauntlet and set Electrodes at them. Koa noticed it first and bit on Ben's ear to get his attention, and the Ranger turned around in horror. There were so close to the entrance back into the temple, too. He quickly pumped the muscles in his legs and ran as fast as he could, his hands grabbing Summer by the waist. The girl yelped at being rough handled as he sprinted towards their last exit.

This still wasn't enough, he thought, and in the last few feet, and lunged forward, with his partners, and they were sent crashing at the walls. Summer struggled to get up, but Ben quickly pulled her down and kept his back towards the entrance as the Electrodes blew up, killing their ears and shaking all parts of the temple. Ben kept Summer close to him while a chunk of rock flew at him. He winced at the pain, but he carried on, making sure that Summer and Koa both didn't get hurt.

They were covered in dust, but the sound of gunfire continued when the rumbling subsided. Ben let Summer go, and she coughed, trying to get the dust out of her sinuses. Koa sneezed a lot, and it danced around, trying to get the dirt off of its fur. Ben got up in a stagger, and he held out a hand for Summer to get up as well. Summer blinked at her friend, as his eyes seemed hazed over, and suddenly, the boy was toppling right on top of her. She barely had any time to catch him.

"Ben?" her voice was a whisper, but upon realization, she screamed. "Ben! Come on! Ben-"

Her voice died when she noticed the blooming red splotch on Ben's back, and it wasn't stopping either. She quickly propped one of his arms over her shoulder, and attempted to carry on, but her feet stumbled, still shaking from the rumble. They struggled through the entire length of the temple, with Summer looking back worriedly to see if Red Eyes decided to go after them. She was sure that she reached the front of the temple until she came across the large boulders that must have fallen over from all the commotion recently. Summer gasped in shock that her feet were unable to move, and the Pichu that was with Ben worriedly walked beside her. She looked at it curiously. This little Pokemon was adorable, was it Ben's partner?

"Dr…" Ben moaned, and Summer laid him down, and tried to see if he was awake. His eyelids were barely open, and he was waving his right arm to her.

"Ben?" She looked at him in wonder.

"Draw… this…" he whispered before nodding off to oblivion again. Summer looked at the Styler, and something strange seemed to be open. She lifted his arm, careful not to wake him.

Summer had never seen this feature of the Styler before. A symbol was registered into it, and was awaiting some sort of input. She tried to make something of it, but the Pichu with the little blue ukulele got her attention. It picked up a stick, and it began to draw unintelligible things, as if telling her to do something.

"I'm supposed to draw something on this?" she asked the Pichu, and it jumped happily. That was a yes?

She looked hesitantly at Ben, and then to the Styler again. She tried to replicate the same symbol that was shown on the Styler. When she finished, the air became warm again, and Summer clutched onto Ben tightly in fright of what would happen next. Immediately, the boulders in front were struck down by something outside, and whatever outside was careful to dig through instead of crashing in. Summer watched in amazement as the Pokemon that emerged from the entrance was something she saw in fated legends – Entei.

"Entei…" she mouthed his named, and when the lion came through, she could see that its eyes were upon Ben, who was still unconscious. She looked back at the Pokemon and then to her partner. Since when did they guy learn to summon powerful Pokemon like this?

"Can you take us back to the nearest town?" she asked, and the lion didn't move. She looked back into the temple before heading to Entei, putting Ben on top first before mounting it herself. Ben's Pichu climbed onto Entei's head, and when everyone was ready, it squeaked an unintelligible command, and the lion reared its head before launching off through the road as fast as it could, leaving little trace of its presence.

* * *

><p>Ben woke up with a start, and immediately, he leapt out of bed, or whatever he was sleeping on. Someone called out his name, and he quickly lost his balance. The pain on his back didn't help very much either.<p>

"Ben!" A girl's voice reached to him, and he felt familiar hands steadying him back on to the bed. He looked up at Summer, who was frowned at him. The girl was in normal clothes at the moment, and she seemed like she had some time to clean herself when she came back. As for him, he was back in his room in Basil's house, and no one but himself and Summer was in there.

"Summer…?"

"Yeah," she said quietly. "It's the real deal."

Ben couldn't contain himself as he ignored the screaming pain on his back, and he leaned over to grab Summer. She yelped at the sudden movement, and she felt arms wrap around her waist again, and he leaned into her, no words to explain why.

"Ben…?" Summer tried to pry Ben away, but he continued to remain this way. She was happy to see him, but what's with him being too happy?

"Did they hurt you?"

Summer blinked at him, wondering what he meant. He wasn't looking at her, so…

"Did they hurt you, Summer?"

"N-No," the girl frowned.

"Did they do anything to you?"

"No."

"Are you okay?"

"Y-yes- Wait I'm fine!"

She finally got Ben to let go and returned to the bed across from him. The boy, still aching, stared at her like a deer in the headlights. Was he just staring into space again?

"I…" Ben muttered. "I thought I'd lost you…"

Summer could see that just about a week's worth of worrying coming to his face. He must have had some sleepless nights, and he really looked like he was going to cry this time. Ben was a sensitive guy ever since they were mere students at the Academy, but this was nothing like him. Out of sympathy, and guilt for herself, she stood up and sat beside him.

"Ben…" she admitted. "I'm sorry to be of so much trouble..."

"Summer…" Ben seemed to regain the better of himself.

"I-I'm sorry…" she mumbled. "I really thought you were dead, until Red Eyes told me…"

"Dead…?"

"And…" Summer continued. "I think I've done you more harm than help. It makes me feel useless."

Ben watched as the girl began to shake, unlike how she was the few hours ago. Whatever happened to her usual happy, bubbly self? Since when would she break down so easily? This was only a few days, not months.

"When we were flying above Oblivia..." she continued to talk. "You protected me from Red Eyes's Plasma Cannon. And then before that you stopped those poachers from hurting me when I was losing, and then you did this-"

"Summer," Ben couldn't bear to hear any more of her babbling, and he reached for her shoulder.

"And then… And then," Summer brushed away his hand. "I don't know. You always save me! Isn't that a bad thing?"

"Summe-"

"Aren't I a bother to you?" she cried. "I almost screwed us over when I got captured, and I spent all my time in that place thinking that you were dead!"

"Summer, calm-"

"I just feel utterly useless… And what am I saying?! I'm a Ranger, for goodness sake! And I can't take care of myself! I just can't help anyone! So why can't I-"

"SUMMER!"

Ben didn't like yelling at the top of his lungs, but this situation called for it. He was sure he had terrified everyone in the house (namely Basil, who didn't like it loud), but it was the only way for Summer to stop. She stopped mid-sentence, and her face was just wet, and she looked terrified. He couldn't blame her, since he never lost patience with her, and she never saw him use his voice like that. Ben could see that she was resigning herself to his judgment, and with no delay, he grabbed her shoulders and forced her to look at him.

"Summer," his voice shook, but he trekked on. "Please. Listen to what I have to say."

"Ben…" Summer sniffled, and her eyes kept trying to look elsewhere.

"Summer," he called her name again. "Have you believed that all this time?"

The ginger gave a very hesitant nod, and he couldn't stop after that.

He quickly brought her forward into a tight hug, despite her arms protests of not deserving a partner like him. He wouldn't stand for it, since she was his partner, someone he had to look out for, and someone to care for... Heck, if he had to marry her, he would. She was important to him, and he wouldn't give up anything for her safety.

"I am your partner, Summer," Ben told her. "You showed me that in the years we spent at the Academy, and the time when we went on missions together before we came to Oblivia."

"Ben…" Summer wanted to resist, but he kept his hold.

"I protect because I know," he narrated. "I know that this world is dangerous. The Ranger Union isn't ready for this sudden burst of technology, weapons, and violence. You aren't ready for it. But you still went with me anyways, and you stayed with me until now. That has some worth, doesn't it?"

He could sense that Summer was going to cry again in denial. "N-No…"

"Summer. Listen. You are brave, brave enough to be a Ranger, even though it's hard. Even so, you still work hard to get to where you are now. You are a kind, brave person. That's one of the many things I admire about you. Sometimes, you work so hard, and achieve so much; I sometimes get jealous of you."

Summer returned the hug, her arms careful to avoid the wound on his back. Warmth was returning to the both of them as they parted, and Ben gave her one more look.

"You're a strong person, Summer," he said resolutely. "Don't ever feel like you're nothing. You're something to me, and to everyone else, so please, you're not a burden to me. It would worry me if you felt like that. And because you did, I have failed as your partner."

"Ben…" Summer's cheeks burned red, and she immediately flung herself back at her partner, who hugged back.

"I will definitely repay you for this!" Summer cried. "I will!"

Ben smiled at her, and he welcomed her as both them felt increasingly overwhelmed until they both cried together. For now, they sought comfort in each other, and they didn't leave until the other felt better.

* * *

><p>Basil looked up from the counter when the two of his friends came into the kitchen. It was late at night, and he had resolved to stay up for now. Leanne was sure to ask for some coffee at midnight soon, and Ice would be on his way back soon, just like he had called him. Keith and Rand somehow were out late this time. The only one in bed was probably Nema, but she tended to have nightly excursions to his lab whenever he forgot to lock it.<p>

"Ben, Summer," the boy smiled, and pointed to the dinner table. "I thought you weren't going to come out, so I reheated some dinner for you two."

"Oh, thank you, Basil," Summer nodded meekly, and she and Ben took their respective seats at the table opposite each other. Ben was followed around by Koa, who was still awake enough to climb the table, and much to the two Rangers' embarrassment, play a rather moving tune on the ukulele. Basil watched as the two of them ate in discomfort, but Summer looked at the Pichu curiously. When she finished, she asked Ben.

"What a cutie," she smiled, fighting to remain cheerful. "Why does this Pichu have a ukulele?"

"Oh, him?" Ben turned to Koa. "His name is Koa. He's native to Dolce Island here, and how he got the ukulele… It's a long story."

He told the same story as he had told Basil about what happened after he was shot down from the sky. Basil watched as the two conversed, with Ben doing more of the storytelling, and Summer listening with an intrigued expression. Basil was happy for the both of them, now that they were reunited again. It brought up the time Ice got out of jail, and he found Basil in the middle of Castelia City in Unova, and all they did was talk.

"You've been through a lot, haven't you?" Summer smiled, petting Koa from behind the ears. "I hope you find your friends soon, Koa!"

"Well, enough about me," Ben continued, though still uneasy about the conversation. "What about you?"

Summer grimaced, but she braved on, like she was supposed to. "Well, I wasn't just sitting there waiting to be rescued. I was blindfolded do I don't know where it was, but I attached a homing device to their hideout. I can pick up the Beacon by my Styler. If we do this, we'll know where their hideout is, and we can rescue Staraptor! But... They broke my Styler."

"Your Styler?" Basil piped up. "Nema and I can fix it. You shouldn't have to worry."

"Oh, thanks!" Summer smiled weakly. "Always the gadgeteer genius Basil!"

"No problem," Basil smiled. "I'm just glad both of you are okay. I was worried when Murph called in to say that Ben went off to face the Pinchers by himself. I was really worried when Murph called again to say that the two of you were in pretty bad shape."

"Oh, right," Summer nodded. "I passed out when I found Murph. I didn't think Entei would go so fast. It made my head dizzy. But… why was Murph there?"

"Murph?" Ben laughed nervously. "He said he was worried about us… so he came here."

"That's it?" Summer chuckled. "Well, Rhyth is going to chew him out for this when he gets back."

"Oh, definitely," Ben laughed. "I kinda want to see it, though."

"Well," Basil spoke. "I think it's best you go sleep now. I don't think Keith and Rand will be back anytime soon. I don't think it's worth it for you two to stay up waiting for them. I'll tell them to debrief tomorrow."

"Oh, thank you," Summer smiled, and the two Rangers got up and returned their finished dinners before returning into the hall with Koa following closely behind them. Basil's smiled faded as he went back to the kitchen to wash the dishes. Everyone seemed to be very tense, and he hoped that things would diffuse soon enough, otherwise they'd fall like flies. Something was missing, and he wished that void would be filled soon.

* * *

><p>No one was alerted that Summer had come to the house, everyone was surprised to see an almost unknown ginger walk into the room with Ben for breakfast. Ben managed to explain everything well, and soon the entire room developed positive opinion of Summer. Rand and Leanne welcomed the girl wholeheartedly, Keith gave an approving nod, and told her that he was glad that she was mostly unharmed, and Nema was most excited that a young girl was living here.<p>

"Whoaa!" Nema ogled at the Ranger. "You're a Ranger like Ben? That's amazing! But where's your Styler?"

"Oh," Summer smiled. "It's broken, so it's being repaired right now."

"In fact," Basil added, setting extra food on the table (the men were always big eaters). "You and I are going to fix Summer's Styler together. Now isn't that exciting?"

"Really?" the little scientist looked like she had just gotten her Christmas presents, and danced around the table, despite her mother's playful scolding to finish her breakfast. Everyone laughed at the energetic kid, even Keith. The man had returned for the past few days with some wear, and Ben could guess that his teacher had done immense heavy work. He couldn't stand by as others were working.

After breakfast, the festivities faded, and everyone bustled around to work. Murph came much faster than they had expected. His face was very red from running so far (Keith questioned the man's athletic abilities), and he smiled widely when the door opened for him.

"The Bridge!" He cried. "The Big Booker Bridge is finished! I just got news from Booker today when I was leaving Tilt Village!"

"Really?!" Leanne was bewildered. "That's good!"

Everyone was excited that the bridge was finally usable, but Keith was kind enough to remind them that they had a long day ahead of themselves, so they settled themselves inside Basil's office again. After all recaps and summaries, Rand was the first to speak.

"Well, we'll have to be out on patrol," he suggested. "With Blue Eyes back at possibly full force, we'll need to make sure that no one gets harmed."

Summer raised her hand, "I don't think we need to wait any longer, sir. My Styler's currently in repair, but we can fix my Styler, we might be able to find the Pinchers' hideout."

All faces at the table wore looks of excitement and surprise.

Rand leaned forward to give her full attention. "What do you mean?"

"When I was in their care," Summer explained. "I was blindfolded when they escorted me out, so I couldn't tell where we were, but... I managed to leave a homing device at their location. Hopefully, they haven't realized it."

All the other Rangers were surprised, and nonetheless, impressed.

"Great!" Murph smiled. "So if you can pick up the homing device's signal on the Styler, you can get the location of their hideout. That was a fantastic decision. We'll make sure your Styler gets fixed right away. We can't let them get away."

"Good job, Summer," Ben smiled, and the ginger felt relieved. She was atoning for the times she couldn't help anyone, and this feeling was great.

"But Summer," Keith asked. "Were you blindfolded only?"

"No, not when I was in the room," Summer answered confidently." But they didn't cover my ears, let alone sound proof the room I was kept in, so I was able to hear a little of the going-one outside. Red Eyes gave me plenty of visits and he relayed messages to the guards at my door."

"And what were they talking about?"

Summer pondered over her answer, trying to form memories into words, "It was something about... Preparations for Moltres are proceeding..."

Basil, alarmed at the key words, stood up from his place on the table, his face ashen. "The Pinchers are trying to capture the legendary Pokemon Moltres?!"[1]

Ice didn't seem very thrilled about this, either, as he was just as pale as his friend, most unlike anyone else. Keith and Rand stared at them accusingly, wondering what the two could be hiding, while Ben seemed to realize something. If Basil might have known something about Kate, did the fact that the Pinchers had unexpected plans have something to do with the two of them?

"That is shocking," Murph continued, disregarding the shock. "What could they being doing this for?"

"I don't know," Summer answered cautiously. "I wasn't able to hear anything else other than that. Anyway, if we can figure out the location of their hideout, we can stop their plans! And we can also rescue my Partner Pokemon..."

"If it has something to do with the legendary bird Moltres," Leanne added. "I think the old book Basil and Ice had scanned may be related to their plan. I've managed to decode a good number of pages fully."

"Really?" Murph beamed. "What did you find?"

Everyone settled back in their seats, as Leanne began to go through presentation slides.

"According to the research I've already done in the field of archaeology," she said. "Mysterious Emblems called Involiths are left behind on Monuments. Apparently, they are the keys for opening the Ancient Gate."

"Hmm," Basil wondered aloud, his face still pale. "I don't remember finding that when we tried to decode it."

"Runes can have double meanings," Leanne noted. "You may have interpreted it a different way than mine, so I guess that caused the inconsistency."

Basil nodded for her to continue, but Rand spoke up.

"Involiths... Keys for opening the gate..." he mulled over the ideas. "Now that you mention it, the Pinchers left with only the part of the Rasp Cavern's Monument that had a figure carved into it."

"Good thinking," Keith agreed. "There was another one in Daybreak Ruins, like Ben had told us."

"So where is this Ancient Gate?" Murph asked.

"Unfortunately," Leanne answered dismally. "There was nothing written about its location."

"Okay, let me get this straight," Summer piped. "So the Pinchers are trying to open this ancient gate? But, how is this related to pinching Moltres?"

"Good question, Summer," Leanne nodded. "We've been thinking about that."

"Still..." Keith frowned. "What will happen when the Ancient Gate is opened? I think we all have a vague feeling that it probably won't be anything good."

"It shouldn't," Basil said darkly. "Anything that has been sealed should never be reopened. There's a reason why the people of the past had worked to shut it away from the world."

The entire room fell silent, grimacing at the words, until Nema jumped up out of her seat, her mind preoccupied on her only latest job.

"Well, we've got to track them down, right?" She pointed at Summer. "For starters, let's get that Styler fixed up! Oh, I love a challenge!"

The ginger smiled weakly to the little girl, envying her great enthusiasm. "Thank you, Nema."

"Just leave it to me and uncle Basil!" The blue haired scientist beamed, and she rounded about the table to drag Basil along as well. The young man laughed and followed her out, giving Ice one last look. They were worried for the upcoming events, since nothing could be predicted hereafter. Then Basil looked at Ben as well.

"That's right, Ben," he recalled. "Could we do something about your Stylers as well? I think we'll need Keith and Rand's, too. While we're at it, I'll do little maintenance for you."

"Oh, that's okay," Rand smiled. "I don't think my Styler needs any upgrades. This meeting might be longer, so I think I'll head off to the construction site now."

"This soon?" Leanne asked her husband, and the Ranger nodded.

"Yeah," he headed for the door past Basil and Nema. "I think communications will be important, so we better at least have local wireless communications up and running."

"Oh, okay, then," Leanne smiled. "I've packed something for you at the counter, so be sure to bring it with you."

The Ranger thanked his wife before leaving out the door, while Basil and Nema went along to repair things. Summer, anxious about the state of her Styler, followed after them. Murph saw little point in keeping the meeting together, so he announced a break. Leanne retreated back to the scans of the old books, while Keith and Ben stayed behind, having little else to do. Buizel and Koa were outside in the living room, waiting for their partners and wreaking minor havoc (it wasn't anything they couldn't fix, but the disaster was inexcusable).

* * *

><p>"Wait, Signs?" Summer blinked, surprised at the sound of it, yet thoroughly impressed. "So that's what Ben was using."<p>

"Yup," Nema replied cheerily, fiddling with a small screwdriver to get the small components of the ginger's broken Styler. "Sounds cool, isn't it? In fact, Uncle Basil and Uncle Ice programmed it. They're really amazing uncles!"

"Oh, don't mind me," Basil smiled modestly. "we had others working on the program before, too. It was just an idea that we had when we were doing research on the islands here."

Summer laughed as Nema continued to praise Basil while the other tried not to brag or boast about his abilities. Basil was the same old Basil, a complete genius inventor, and the most modest man to ever walk the planet. His parents raised him well not to become a snot-nosed arrogant brat. Basil was a very good friend.

"So," Summer asked. "Are you trying to install the program to our Stylers, too?"

"Yeah," Basil smiled, handing Nema something for Summer's Styler. "Ben's needs a little upgrade, and I thought that now that it seems to work, we should give the program to Keith, too."

"Wait," Summer raised an eyebrow. "What about me?"

"We're installing the program," Basil tried to speak nicely. "but, Ice and I are actually not sure if it will work for you, or Rand. We made the program to resonate with deep empathic links. It's a bit complicated, but…"

Basil found it difficult to say what the real intentions of the Sign Mode was for, and what the real compatibility was. His woes diminished when Summer shrugged and laughed it off.

"Oh, it's okay," she said. "I'm sure I can manage, without the Sign Mode or not. Besides, you're still testing it, so I think Keith and Ben alone are good beta testers."

Basil smiled weakly at Summer enthusiasm. He could see that she was rather strained, hearing that she might not be as strong as the other Rangers. The young man could understand her troubles, being a young new person in a sea of older experienced others. Even Ben, the same age as the both of them, probably had more work experience. Falling behind and not be able to keep up with things were difficult processes. He hoped that Summer would keep herself together for the next part of the mission.

The thought that he, Ice, and Kate would miscalculate something was a stab to his gut. They were only able to predict in quick movements where the Pinchers would go next, what half their objective was, well, the only part that they were concerned about, and certain names within their system. To think that there was more to the organization than they had thought made Basil feel like he had failed to let things run smoothly as they should be.

Meanwhile, Nema and Summer chattered continuously about Tilt Island.

"Don't you know Entei's song?" Summer asked Nema, who shook her head, yet she was eager to know about it.

"Well, what does it sound like?"

Summer smiled uncertainly, "I learned it from some bored-looking Pinchers who were singing it. Okay, I'm terrible at singing, but this is what I remember:

_A giant boulder blocks he way._

_If you can pass, go ahead, I say._

_The massive rock says, full of sass,_

_"No one can move my hefty mass!"_

_The massive boulder is just slow!_

_For the Great Entei, it's one blow._

_Even a huge stone, just one blow..._"

"Whoa!" Nema gawked at the ginger when she finished singing the song quietly. "You sure sing really nice! If it were louder, then it would be really pretty!"

"Well, I can't sing any louder," Summer laughed sheepishly. "I didn't take choir lessons back at the Academy, you see…"

"You can learn at any time," Nema smiled. "You know, at Cocona Town, they have a jazz quartet and they teach singing lessons! You should visit them!"

"Really?" Summer remained excited. "Then we should go when we have free time, okay?"

"Okay! Wait, let me finish fixing this..."

* * *

><p>Ben watched his teacher slump in his seat, something he had usually grown out of doing as an adult, but when he didn't feel too good, he acted childish in ways. He could see that the redhead was lacking major amounts of sleep, now that he had noticed. He must have done some exhausting work repairing the Wireless Tower, and Ben had remembered why Keith had come here to Oblivia. Nothing was really over yet, and they all knew so.<p>

The Ranger felt uneasy, gulping as he tried to find words to make his teacher feel better. He wondered if Keith was upset with him at all, doing manual work instead of running after the Pinchers, the main source of the problem. The redhead didn't seem to mind, and Ben could easily assume that his teacher wanted him to get experience and training for later overseas missions.

"Um… teacher?"

The redhead looked up from across the table, his eyes opening slightly. He must have tried to take a wink of sleep for at least a couple minutes.

"Yes, what do you need, kid?"

"It's… something that I didn't say," Ben admitted very cautiously. "I saw something that I should have told you about, since it has something to do with you."

Keith opened his eyes more fully, and seemed more focused on his student, but he still looked very tired.

"What has to do about me?"

"Well, remember how the mansion got burned down?"

"Yes. Murph told me something about how the place was struck by a fire Pokemon. There's not much left of the place anymore."

Ben frowned at Keith, wondering what in the world did Murph say to Keith about that day. Did the chief deliberately cut out bits of information to his teacher? What for?

"Well, yeah," Ben continued. "but someone _owned_ that Pokemon. It was an Infernape or something."

Keith didn't seem fazed by the discrepancy. "Chimchar are native to this island. It's natural someone would own an Infernape, given the conditions."

"Well, that's not all," Ben said hurriedly. "Remember when we were at the ruins near Cocona Town? When the Celebi took me back in time and sent me back again?"

He received a weary nod.

"Well, it happened again, when I asked Murph to go on without me, and then I went back to the mansion when Celebi conveniently appeared. I went back in time again. And then I met someone unlikely."

"Unlikely?"

"Well, yeah," Ben nodded slowly. "I don't know why that person was there, but… ah. Never mind."

"Never mind?" Keith raised an eyebrow. He was actually interested in the story, and just having the best part cut off was not what he had expected. However, he was interrupted by the door slamming open and everyone rushing back in. Nema was in her festive mood as she danced around Summer, who walked in first her hands preoccupied with securing the Styler back onto her arm. Basil walked in with Ben and Keith's Stylers and returned them to their owners. Everyone else left in the house returned into the room, their break finally over.

"Okay!" Nema tried to restart the meeting. "I'm finished! Now you can communicate with each other via your Stylers!"

"Good work," Murph smiled. "The local wireless connections will be up soon so we can communicate on the islands soon."

Ben looked over at Summer, who was trying to see if anything had happened to her Styler. It still had some dents from have been broken, but it seemed in better shape. Vato and Nage would gladly replace the shells later.

"Oh!" Summer piped up, and she quickly plugged her Styler to the projector. "The Styler is picking up a signal from the homing device!"

Keith, the main Ranger at the moment, looked at the ginger, intrigued. "Where is it pointing?"

"Umm..." Summer tried to look at the screen carefully. "Apparently, it's Mitatonga Island! It's pointing to the southern coast of the island!"

"Over there?" Ice was surprised. "That's pretty dangerous."

"Um," Ben spoke up. "Where is this coast?"

"If you pass through the cave in Tilt village," Basil explained. "There is a cape. There are no people around there, so it is fairly suspicious. However, the road to the cave is mostly sheer cliffs. Landslides have also left boulders all over the road."

"Wow," Keith commented dryly. "I wonder if it would be possible to build a hideout in a place like that."

"Anyways," Murph said. "If we find out where they are, they're ours! The Pinchers' ambitions are as good as foiled!"

Everyone in the room was in accord. Nema jumped around in excitement. Sadly, her mother wasn't here at the moment to calm her down.

"We should get going," Keith commanded. "They'll be leaving really soon, so we can't just let them have their way. Ben, Summer, and I are going to run there as fast as we can. Murph, you think you can coordinate?"

"Of course!" Murph nodded. "But… Keith, you should really stay back here."

"Hm?" The redhead stopped, looking at his friend as if he had said something out of the ordinary. He didn't quite catch what Murph had said.

"Murph's right," Ice added. "I didn't notice until now, but you look like a total train wreck. Did you come back here late at night for several days straight?"

"I'll be all right," Keith tried to get himself out of staying.

"No, you're not," Murph folded his arms like a disappointed mother. "Ben and Summer can handle this mission themselves. You should stay here and rest. If not, you can help coordinate them."

Keith looked at everyone, at a loss, but everyone's faces seemed to tell him that he should stay.

"Well, fine," he said, returning to his seat. He looked at Ben, his eyes burning like fire. As the redhead's pupil for several years, Ben knew exactly what he wanted to say. It seemed that even though Ben had never truly said anything at all, his teacher was brilliant enough to figure out everything. He had wanted to go with Ben and Summer to accomplish his goal: to find her again. But with his current state, he really should stay here. Ben gave his teacher a small bow, indicating that as his student, he would be the one to carry out his teacher's wishes.

He was alerted by Summer and a very excited Koa outside Basil's house, and they looked at the sky to tell the time. These people would probably be taking off real soon, so they had to be fast. Summer gave Ben a knowing look, and the Ranger opened up his Styler and changed into Sign Mode. With a few flourishes, he summoned Raikou, the Thunder god at his heels. In a flash of light, they were off.

* * *

><p>NOTES:<p>

[1] Okay, using the word "Pinch" was pretty annoying to begin with, so let's just say capture, or take control of.

[IMPORTANT] I made changes to the previous chapter, so please do read it. It's about Red Eyes and Blue Eyes.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** _Stuff happened. Hooray! And more ambiguous stuff!_


	15. Digging Yourself Deeper

**Tracks of Light**

**Chapter 15 – Digging Yourself Deeper**

* * *

><p>"Oh."<p>

Basil gawked at his sister's indifference.

"That's all?" He cried. "You do realize we didn't arrange enough resources now this has happened!"

The siblings were down in the basement floor, right after the morning meeting. Ben and Summer had just been sent off, and Keith was still here. Basil had to be very careful talking his way out to getting down here to relay information to Kate. Good thing Ice covered for him.

"After all that we planned," Basil sighed. "We still missed their big picture. I thought they were only going after the Emblems. You can control Pokemon with them. The Pinchers would aim to get their hands on three legendary Pokemon by a mere ancient symbol. Seems like Ed's help wasn't of much use to us. [1]"

"He only knows so much," Kate turned around to pet her Gabite, who strolled about the room. "He doesn't specialize in Oblivian Ruins, so I guess we should have guessed it would happen."

Basil sighed again as he watched his sister pet one of the younger Pokemon in the room. She deserved an award for being too calm in blatantly urgent situations.

"Well, what do we do now?" Basil asked. "Planting Blue Eyes isn't going to last forever. Even more so, the tracker was at the cliffs in Mitatonga."

"A very stupid place to put a base, indeed," Kate agreed, following up on his words. "There's too many risks putting a building, even a secret one, in those cliffs. One critical hit, and you can lose a quarter of the island to the sea."

"Perhaps this unit is a moving one?"

"Most likely. A submarine, if we dig a little deeper. Blue Eyes mentioned that they owned a submarine that was their mobile base."

The Ex-Ranger slumped back onto her seat, staring straight at the ground. She was hoping that this wouldn't interfere with her missions in the future, but planning the capture of the Pinchers for the others to carry out was catching up with her. She wasn't the best strategist like Keith or Murph, but she had to congratulate herself for keeping it up for five years.

"I don't think Ben or Summer will be all right," her younger brother muttered, his face dreadfully downcast. "The Pinchers in the base are probably stronger than the ones they've encountered before. I'm worried about Summer especially."

Kate looked up at Basil, knowing what he meant to say. Indeed, he truly did worry for them, but he really urging her to go after them and make sure they're in one piece when they returned. Kate could easily trust Ben and his own abilities (she should thank Keith for teaching him so well), and Summer could manage herself, but at least Ben would protect her. But her brother was her brother. No one could really avoid Basil's requests with that stupid face.

"Stop looking silly," she said, and she shot up from her seat, clicking her tongue for one of her Pokemon to fetch her keys and coat. "If you wanted me to go after them, you should have said so. Now I doubt I'll even make it on time."

* * *

><p>"It's looks like it's dangerous here," Ben told Summer as he got up from the ground. They had just entered a pass through the mountains and into a cliffed coast. The two Rangers had narrowly missed a falling boulder from above.<p>

"That's the least of our worries," Summer pointed to the looming figures of two Pinchers on sentry duty. Ben quickly got up and joined his partner Pichu as they stood their ground.

"My, my, how cute," The female Pincher taunted them. "Are you on a field trip from the Ranger School? Eat this!"

A Pokemon shot out of the Gauntlet and charged at them.

"Nope," Summer countered with a fast capture, and the Pinchers were rendered senseless.

"Hold on!" the other Pincher cried. "Those are fully-fledged Rangers! Didn't you hear? They even caught our leader! Isn't that why our departure was delayed?"

" Departure?" Ben raised an eyebrow. "That means that you guys... You're planning to put a major plan in motion. And the leader of the operation is Blue Eyes!"

The two Pinchers froze in place, and then began to bicker.

"They figured out, because you talk too much!"

" It's because you were babbling about field trips and lunches! Anyway, forget about that. We only have two minutes until departure."

Before Ben could say anything, the two enemies flew away at top speed. Koa knew the sign of pursuit, and it jumped onto his shoulder just as he broke into a run. Summer followed after him and they quickly jumped across the parts where the cliff broke off.

They made it to the end of the cliff where a large metal vessel floated in the water. Ben could see the Pinchers flying in on their Flyers, getting ready for their speedy departure, while Summer drew together the conclusions.

"So the Pinchers' hideout was a submarine!" she said. "That means I was held inside here... That means my Staraptor should be locked up inside, along with other Pokemon!"

"Well, let's hurry," Ben told her, and she nodded back.

"Let's make ourselves like steel and charge in through the hatch."

They waited as the last of the Pinchers filed in. Once they thought the last squad entered, they took a long leap towards the submarine that was just close enough to the cliff for them, and fell right into the hatch. They hit headfirst into a small room, with Ben landing first, Summer next, and Koa right between them. They quickly gathered themselves when they were descending.

"And elevator?" Summer looked around anxiously. "I wonder how big this thing is. It might not even be a submarine at all."

The doors opened to a vacant room. Ben took the first step out, making sure that no one was hiding in the corners, and then motioned for Summer and Koa to come out. They were startled by a loud beep of the speakers that preceded an announcement.

"Commencing diving!" the speaker bellowed. "All hands to stations!"

The submarine finally gave a loud jerk forward, causing both Rangers to lose their balance. Summer toppled right into Ben, and they both fell on the ground. Koa leapt out of harm's way when the two Rangers crashed onto the floor. Ben took full brunt of the fall, and found himself staring up at Summer, who had caught herself by the hands. Their proximity was way too close!

"Aaah, sorry!" Summer quickly got up, flustered, while Ben slowly got up to his feet, his checks pink from embarrassment. They looked at the elevator doors closing, and looked on ahead to the doors that awaited them. Koa, who climbed back onto his shoulder, shivered in fright in this foreign place. Ben comforted his partner by petting it behind the ears.

"There's no going back now," Ben warned it. "For now, let's look for their leader, Blue Eyes."

The Rangers went through the nearest door, finding nothing but endless halls of storage. Some rooms even had more than one door, and it took time for Ben to realize that. Their search ended when they found a door that led to new corridor. Unfortunately, they came across the last people they wanted to see.

"Get back!" Pinchers cried as they turned to flee, and Ben quickly grabbed Summer and ran forward. Those guys would take time to reassemble themselves to chase them, so better to get by without confronting them as much as possible. Amidst the confusion, Ben found the nearest room, and he dove right in, taking Summer and Koa with him. They hid behind the door just when the Pinchers passed by, having lost track of the Rangers.

"I don't believe it..." One of them was incredulous. "How in the world did they sneak in here?"

The Rangers stepped out when the footsteps were no longer audible. Ben and Summer were ready to go ahead when they heard a squeak from Koa. The little Pichu was still in the room, and its eyes fell upon a large storage box that took up most of the room. The Rangers saw nothing important about it, until they heard faint cries from the container.

"Koa, did you find something in this room?" Ben asked, looking at the container. "What's so special about this cage?"

Koa didn't explain, or rather, it couldn't. The little Pichu pointed fruitlessly at the door, and Ben could guess that it needed to be opened. He tried to slide open the door, but to no avail. He noticed a small key card detector and smashed it with his fist, and then he wrested open the door. Summer winced at the sound, but she had to admit that Ben would be fine. A bit of glass wasn't going to stop the boy.

The first thing that came out was Marill. Summer was surprised that Pokemon were kept in there, in such a dark place, nonetheless! Following the blue mice were Pichu, just like Koa, and all the small Pokemon made way for a large Urasing, completely disgruntled, but otherwise satisfied not to be crammed with other Pokemon.

The Pokemon that were released noticed Koa, and they flocked around it, cheering and chattering unintelligibly. Ben smiled at his partner when he realized where these Pokemon came from. Summer caught on a bit later.

"So these are the Pokemon that were pinged from Dolce Island," the ginger grinned, petting Koa. "I'm so glad you found your friends, Pichu!"

The Pokemon then heard a scuffle from the metal container and they stopped, waiting for the last Pokemon to come out. Summer's eyes looked ready to pop out of her face when she saw the recognizable feathers and proud red plumes of her one and only Pokemon partner.

"Staraptor!" She ran forward and hugged it. "You were locked in there along with everyone else!"

"Star…"

The large bird tried to move, but it walked with a limping gait, and Summer could see that its thigh had a gash on it. "And your injury still hasn't healed or treated. Um, here, take this."

She administered a strong potion on the bird, and within minutes the Staraptor was spreading its wings widely and flying about the little space there was for it, perching atop the metal container. Ben watched as Summer gazed in amazement, elated that her partner was all right.

"You're still injured," she told the bird. "But you don't have to worry about us anymore. We'll come get you later, so try to stay put. There's something we have to do first."

"Star," the bird nodded, and the Pokemon seemed to understand that this direction was addressed to all of them, and they agreed unanimously. Their reunion was cut off by unwitting Pinchers who heard the commotion.

"What? What? What's going on? It's the Rangers! Hey, you! Do you miss being a hostage already?"

Ben was the first to react, and like a whirlwind he shot straight at them, and knocked them out. At least he had the courtesy to drag them to the wall so they wouldn't be stepped on.

"You're going to have to give them a little payback for their hospitality," the boy said dryly, and Summer agreed. "Let's go ahead, they might have cameras here."

"Right."

They bade the Pokemon farewell, and with Koa behind them, they ran out of the room and deeper into the ship. They were stopped by a large following of Pinchers, all of them large and muscled. Ben could tell that they were real natives of Orre, having been toned to living by strength on the streets. They weren't a problem.

"Come and get it," he taunted them, using his bare fists. He couldn't waste tonfas on these guys.

"You're all talk," the nearest Pincher smirked. "You should know from looking at our numbers there is no way you can win. And if you don't know, we'll keep going until you do!"

"Take the Pokemon," Ben instructed Summer, and he counted all the men and women in the room. There were an equivalent of three classes. Brown eyes burned as he really did take out his tonfas from his pockets and retracted the handles. He felt like going all out today.

Within seconds, the battle was already decided. Summer wasn't surprised by these quick fights anymore, but she sure had less difficulty capturing the crowd of Pokemon. It was over in minutes, and Ben's presence was making chills on the Pinchers' spines.

"Well I guess even our leader had trouble with you…" one of them stammered and then ran the other direction. "Inform the whole crew hat rangers have Infiltrated the ship!"

Koa had been assisting Summer with the captures, landed neatly on the ground, twanging the last chord of the little song he always played. It ran up to its partner, wildly in the heat of battle, even though things were over. Ben smiled and picked the little guy up onto his shoulder effortlessly. Looking in the direction the Pinchers ran off to, he and Summer exchanged knowing looks.

"Let's follow them," he suggested.

* * *

><p>Blue Eyes was not impressed. She was glad that a majority of her crew stayed, but somehow, her other co-workers found some way of switching out half of her force. Her trusted members had remained, but the others were not as worthy. These two were no exception.<p>

"So in other words," she reiterated their previously shaky explanation. "You've been a doormat for the Rangers, and you fled here, right?"

One of them shivered under her cold glare, "W-We were t running as much as rushing here to report to you..."

"Um, um, exactly!" Another added. "That's exactly what it was! There's no way we would do anything silly like run away."

Blue Eyes didn't blame their surprise. These guys were very low level grunts, and they didn't know any better how strong the Rangers really were. She quickly dismissed them, and watched the door intently. She had no reason to run, not when she was doing a favor for the Rangers, or namely, an old colleague.

As expected, the doors slid open, and in came the two youngest of the Rangers. The Pinchers gasped at their sudden entrance, and some of them were attempting to flee or take action, but Blue Eyes stopped them with a quick flourish of her hand.

"So, Rangers," she smiled, as if she knew them so familiarly. "Is there something you're here for?"

"Don't play dumb," The ginger haired girl frowned at her. "What are you planning?"

Blue Eyes froze for a moment. Honestly, why was she here? Something didn't sit well with her when her they had rushed to get out to sea as her superior had told them. She wondered if he was searching for the one Involith that sat out here in the East Sea…

"It might be what you're thinking or it might not," she said cautiously. "More importantly, I still need to pay you back for the embarrassment you caused me at the Old Mansion! My Ferligatr has been cramped up in this Submarine. I'm sure it can't wait to go wild. You two had better prepare yourselves!"

The two Rangers didn't expect a large Ferligatr jumping down on them, ready to rampage. Ben tossed Blue Eyes a look asking if she was crazy, making a show of a capture dangerous enough to possibly wreck the control room. The blue leader of the Pinchers made no expression. She was sure the boy would capture this easily, and no harm would be done.

"Leader!" One of her subordinates came running her way. "'That person' has contacted you wirelessly!"

Blue Eyes was taken aback by this, wondering if he was going to call of the mission, a phone in his hand.

"A wireless message?" She questioned aloud. "At a time like this? What do they want?"

She took the phone, and walked away, not ready to hear the words she was going to hear. [2] Her knuckles turned white as she listened to everything the speaker on the phone said, and she looked at all the Pinchers in her room. All her trusted members were here, but a lot of the people in the room were the transfers… why…?

"Do you understand, Blue Eyes?" The voice in the phone said. "We no longer need you. You are dismissed."

"Understood," she replied coldly, and threw the phone at the wall. One of her subordinates gasped in shock at her actions, and came to her side.

"L-Leader?" she asked. "What was that conversation about?"

Blue Eyes's frown disappeared, and she gave a fake laugh. "I'll explain later. For now, we have to do something about the bad situation we're in."

She looked back, and saw that Ben and Summer were making their way up the stairs, and she wondered if what she wanted to do was a good choice. She had failied her two missions, both as a friend, and an employee. She wasn't going to see Kenneth again. All of these lies and mistakes she's made, she's deserved it all. Morgan Sullivan wasn't so sure if Ben and Summer needed to be drawn into this mess.

"Everyone!" She called out, her voice echoing. "Time for Plan Z!"

All the commotion in the room stopped, and silence stretched out through the room. The Pinchers who had been in her squad for a long time turned pale, wondering what in world she was thinking.

" L-leader!" One of her subordinates cried. "Isn't Plan Z a last resort?"

"You can't do this, Leader!" A man spoke up ."You can't sink the ship yet!"

"Sink?" Summer looked around, her face carrying the same pallor. "You don't mean…"

Ben quickly understood, and he picked up Koa onto his shoulder, and grabbed his partner's hand. She flushed red at the grip, but his eyes spoke resolute command.

"We have to leave," he said quietly, and they quickly ran down, escaping the confusion that took place from above. Blue Eyes was too confused herself to diffuse the situation as the people below bickered, and then, a shot rang out in the room.

Blue Eyes spun wildly to the lower floor, her eyes falling upon a terrified Summer hiding behind Ben, who shielded her and Koa from harm. A single Pincher was dead, lying in a pool of his own blood. Blue Eyes's blood immediately ran cold. That was one of her people, the half that didn't get switched out. Who…?

Upon instinct, she stepped back, evading a rain of bullets that would have killed her. Frustrated, she drew out a pair of knives, ready to attack an intruder. The Pinchers on board with her were fearful, but some of them followed her lead, and they drew all sorts of weapons: guns, knives, swords, and clubs. Everyone in the room was armed, but halfs were aimed at themselves, the Rangers, and more importantly, Blue Eyes herself. The half of Pinchers loyal to her, were incredulous.

"Why are they aiming at the leader?!" One of the loyal Pinchers roared. "You dare commit mutiny!"

"Mutiny?" One of them spoke up, and a large man stepped forward towards Blue Eyes. "The game has already been lost for you, Blue Faction. We were here to clean up the mess, as requested by our leaders."

"What?!" Another of Blue Eyes's team defended their leader. "You mean to say that we were meant to die here?!"

"Not us," the de facto rebel leader grinned. "but you traitors will."

Blue Eyes felt hairs rising on her back when she ducked from a blow of a rebel Pincher, and she spun around to kick them right in the gut. He staggered and fell to his knees, the knife dropping. She picked it up, and thus her own battle began.

The blonde woman stepped to the edge of the upper floor, and turned to her subordinates. They knew that she had famed fighting prowess, but with this many people, they were doubtful. She launched herself at the sea of rebel Pinchers who already took no hesitation to gun or strike down her own subordinates downstairs. She cried a warning for Ferligatr to get up and fight.

The large crocodile obeyed, and with a strong water attack, it cleared the way for the remaining few of her subordinates to get down safely. Blue Eyes was crestfallen that of the 100 subordinates that she had left, only 20 were alive, but death was death. She had seen and caused too many in her lifetime. These were only statistics, she reminded herself.

"Leader!" One of her subordinates pleaded to her, realizing what Blue Eyes was planning to do. "Hurry!"

"Blue Eyes!" Summer cried out to the blonde, but the Pinchers who belonged to Blue Eyes tried to usher the Rangers out, knowing that their leader would want them to get out, too. Blue Eyes pushed the button for the door to close, and everyone watched as the blonde gave her final smile before confronting the mutiny.

"Don't give up," she told them. "Everyone! Hurry to the hatch like you were trained! I'll take care of them!"

"Leader!" The twenty men and women who remained of Blue Eyes's faction cried out, but the doors closed. Ben and Summer, who were thrown out of the control room, were absolutely speechless. They were snapped out of their trance when they were jostled by a sudden jerk in the ship.

"Hurry!" One of the Pinchers cried. "We've got to leave before the ship sinks!"

"Right!" A woman nodded, and helped Summer and Ben up. "You kids come along, too! Blue Eyes didn't let you go for nothing!"

Summer said little, other than shocking that these Pinchers could be so human, human enough to remember that she was only a young child. Why…?

"Go, then."

Summer turned around, and saw Ben heading back to the chambers where Blue Eyes was fighting her last breath. Summer tried to go after him, but he made sure she stayed. He even gave her Koa for extra measure.

"Ben…" she muttered. "W-Why…"

"Go with them," Ben said. "I'll get Blue Eyes for you. I have enough time to fetch and hurry back to you, if I tap into Black Water fast enough. We have a half hour before we're hopelessly lost to the ocean. Call Murph and tell him that we're sinking."

"Ben-"

"Get these guys here onto the Union. They're going to need some help. And they'll protect you from the rogues-"

Summer slapped him across the face really hard, and the boy was dumbstruck. He looked at her, and realized that she was really going to cry.

"Summer…"

"I can't do that!" the ginger sobbed. "I've been useless enough! I'm going with you!"

Ben blinked at her, realizing what she wanted. He had been babying her too much, and now she wanted to be right next to him…

"You two…" one of the remaining Pinchers stared worriedly. "We have to make sure you survive, for Blue Eyes's sake! Her efforts will go to waste! Why-"

"At a time like this, there's no such thing," Ben's voice was firm. "We're Pokemon Rangers, and a person like Blue Eyes needs to be saved. If these events have made you reflect on your own actions, you can just wait for us once we're on top of the ocean."

"Ben's right!" Summer added. "For now, don't worry about enemies or allies. You should be thinking of getting everyone out alive!"

The Pinchers, touched by forgiveness, nodded understandingly.

"Understood," the foremost Pincher decided. "We have Pokemon still trapped here. We'll take them with us when we're on our way out."

"Thank you," Summer said gratefully, since her Staraptor was included in that group. Ben quickly slapped off his own Styler, and handed it to the de-facto leader of the small Pinchers squad. They were puzzled by what he was doing, giving them something so important to a Ranger. They thought he was joking, but his face clearly said not.

"Contact the Ranger base here on Oblivia," he said. "We've set communications at our base, so if you can call them, they'll send you a ship to pick you up."

Summer stared incredulously at Ben, since he was giving them the same Styler with Sign Mode. Did he trust them really that much? Maybe so, since after these events, they will have nowhere to go. Maybe Ben was making a good choice. Summer would be entirely useless without her Styler, and he could fight back with something else.

"Will do," the Pincher nodded, and they gratefully took the Styler. They parted, and they ran off in their respective directions.

* * *

><p>Blue Eyes was at wit's end when she was backed against the far end of the control panel. She had successfully locked the mutineers in and was already resorting to killing some of these guys. But they were tough skinned men and women, probably the worst from Orre.<p>

Just a truly outnumbered fight of one against a hundred was taking its toll on her, even after ten minutes into battle. She had already amassed a collection of wounds within minutes, and finally the blonde fell to her knees, her strength leaving her. The rogue Pinchers laughed at the leader's incompetence.

"Well, would you look at that," one of them said tauntingly. "I didn't think that the Blue Eyes was so weak against two star assassins like-"

Blue Eyes wasted little time using her remaining upper body strength to toss a knife at the woman who said that, and the body fell, unwittingly cut off. Then she could no longer move. There were fifty of them left, and another thirty were still alive and recovering.

"Why?"

Her question was short, but asked so much. She was t questioning them as her subordinates, but rather, the organization who hired her. Blue Eyes had taken the job in an effort to find her brother. She didn't mind poaching if she had to. She did her job well. She hid herself very carefully. Even until now when she was instructed to be the Ranger's eye. Why did "that person" fire her now? Did he suspect her intentions already?

Her question was left unanswered as the Pinchers we're to place judgment on her, but a loud blast from the door interrupted their kill. Everyone turned round and heard people getting hurt left and right, and a man was thrown into the air and at the upper floor. The intruders were the two pesky Rangers from before. Ben was holding a pair of tonfas, and Summer had only her bare hands. No one else accompanied them, and Blue Eyes could only guess that hey decided to come alone.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a hard pull on her shoulder as she was dragged up against the control board. A blade was pressed across her neck, and she froze in place.

"Don't move, Rangers," the Pinchers growled. "You came to take her back, didn't you?"

Ben made no answers, only observing the men and women around him. He could see that all of them were all professionals, something he could take on, if there were less of them. Summer felt the same way, too, and their backs were pressed together.

"You made a big mistake coming back here," one of the Pinchers said. "It's all of us against you brats! And you wouldn't try to kill us! Like the goody-two-shoes you are!"

Blue Eyes could see that the two Rangers were uncertain, and they weren't doing such a good job hiding it. She knew Ben had good potential to just sweep in and kill all of the Pinchers, but he was holding himself back from doing so. Young boys like him were supposed to think that way.

"No answer?" the assassins' seemed to take the turn for the worst. "You want to die?"

"No!" Summer said defiantly. "But we won't let you have your way!"

"A cocky brat?" a woman grinned. "What makes you so special, huh?"

The Pinchers volleyed insults straight at the Rangers, while Blue Eyes tried to save her own neck. However, the next events that happened were a blur.

A shadow dropped before the Rangers and got up. The Pinchers were wary of the newcomer, and they stood at the ready.

Ben was speechless as he recognized the same brown hair and blue eyes that was his role model. She had her black cost on this time, and for even greater measure, her sword was drawn already. Her eyes were ready to kill.

Summer was just as shocked. She had never seen Kate very much, but she recognized Kate as a strong person whenever Ben talked of her, and how he dreamed of being her student. However, the chance never came when disaster struck, and Kate had gone away. Summer now could see that everything Ben said of her really true…

"Y-You…" One of the rogue Pinchers muttered in fright, recognizing Kate. The ex-Ranger said nothing as she turned towards them, her face in the least friendly demeanor. Some of the Pinchers who knew better backed away in fright, and were dismayed that they wouldn't be able to escape, especially from Kate. Some stayed in front, eager to test her strength. Blue Eyes could feel the man holding her hostage lose his grip, and she quickly took advantage to slip out of his hold and knock him out, clean and simple. Quickly, she joined the Rangers and picked up a stray knife that had fallen.

"You're late," she told Kate, even though she truly didn't expect that the woman would even come for her.

"You didn't ask," Kate said gruffly, and soon, the Pinchers made their way right at them, thinking their numbers could stand a chance. Summer was terrified, not sure what she should do, while Ben looked at Kate for advice. She quickly took note of that, and then pointed at his tonfas.

"Let's do maneuver #14," she told him, and Ben quickly replied, earning a small smirk from Kate. Keith had taught him well.

She quickly took over his blind side as they bulldoze through the crowd, with Blue Eyes and Summer defending from behind. They didn't have any intention of killing or knocking them all out. The exit was closing soon, and they had to hightail it out of here before the ship sunk. With speed, Kate grabbed Summer, while Ben took Blue Eyes, and they dove right for the closing hatch, the doors of the control shutting behind them, rogue Pinchers and all.

"We've made it…" Summer stared at the closed doors. "We… how…"

Ben helped Summer up, while Blue Eyes stared at Kate, who didn't look back. Why did she come here, of all times?

"How much time do we have?" Ben asked first, and Kate looked at the ceiling, as if the place had answers.

"Twenty minutes," she said. "We got out of that room really quickly."

"I've pressed the self-destruct button," Blue Eyes added. "We might end up having less time."

"Well, we can't wait here," Ben demanded, looking a little desperate. "We've got to get out! The other Pinchers were up there with the Pokemon! We've got to help them!"

He was immediately silenced by a quick wave of a hand from Kate herself.

"Easy there," she frowned at him. "You've got to stay calm-"

Before she could finish, the ground shook and began to tilt sideways. Summer yelped in surprise when Ben made a quick grab for her, and Blue Eyes hung onto the nearest thing that was grounded. Kate was shaking and reaching for something to hang onto until the lights went out, and all Ben could see was a large object flying right at him, and a painful thud on his head.

* * *

><p>The last thing Keith expected was a panicky Murph turning up at the living room, face red from having run across the house. Basil was emerging from the kitchen, some fresh fruit up for grabs, where Ice was casually scanning the news.<p>

"SOS!" Murph wheezed, and everyone in the room stopped. Basil was fumbling with the plate, while Keith was dumbfounded by Murph's attempt to speak.

"What?"

"SOS!" Murph snapped. "From Ben's Styler, no less!"

Keith immediately sprung from his seat, his back protesting. Buizel caught on to its master's urgency and followed after him straight to the front porch. Murph and Ice decided that they themselves would follow, too.

"Where is it?" Ice asked.

"In the middle of the ocean, to the East," said Murph. "We've got to take the Union out there! Booker had it fixed just a while ago!"

"Okay," Keith nodded, and he looked at his Styler. Time for him to try the new software. The redhead switched onto Sign Mode and quickly, he summoned Raikou. Just then, he could see the yellow prince of lightning making his way over from the jungle.

* * *

><p>Summer was still awake when the last of the debris settled down, and she was safe in Ben's arms. She stayed there for a while, appreciating the warmth that was barely there, but then she realized he was too limp. Was he awake?<p>

She pried away from his hold and looked at Ben. His eyes were closed, but he really didn't look well. Summer gave him a strong prod on the shoulder, but the boy didn't move. The ginger resorted to a hard shove, turning him over onto his back, but he still didn't wake up. Skeptical, Summer played her head on his chest and felt nothing. Her own breathing became panicked and she began to shake Ben by the shoulders.

"Ben!" she cried. "Stop kidding around. Come on! Ben!"

Blue Eyes came to her senses and was more alert by Summer's shouts, but she could barely see anything. She slowly got up, her sense of balance wavering, but she slowly made her way over to Ben and Summer. Was Ben okay?

"Ben?" she rasped, and in the low light, Sumemr looked up at the blonde. Her shoulders were covered in soot, and her hair was of no better shape. Blue Eyes knelt down beside Ben, and quickly checked his pulse, wondering why Summer hadn't thought of this before. Ben was barely there, or was he always like this?

"He's fine," Blue Eyes reassured the girl Ranger. "Ben is still alive, though he might have hit his head."

Summer stared at the former blue leader of the Pinchers before looking away, unable to clearly say anything in her near madness.

"S-sorry..."

Blue Eyes frowned as Summer shuffled to get up, taking Ben up over her shoulders as she rose. The blonde didn't want to think about what would happen if Ben truly died. Summer would probably lose herself, for sure. Blue Eyes could only think of the losses she had suffered. All those dead subordinates, they were truly faithful to her as underlings, and with them gone, she could now understand how much they meant to her.

"Hurry," a firm voice called out to them. The two girls looks and saw Kate, who was already up and surveying the ladder they'll have to climb. Her voice was strained, but she was well enough to stand. The fall must have gotten to her, too, they all thought.

"Ben," she asked first. "How is he?"

"Out," Blue Eyes replied. But a loud groan got their attention. Summer gasped as her partner stirred, and he blinked open blearily, his head still cloudy. The ginger couldn't contain her happiness, and she quickly set him aside to steady him.

"Ben!" Summer was more than happy, and resisted the urge to hug him. "You're okay!"

Blue Eyes sighed in relief, while Kate looked ahead to the ship. They've been out of it for a while, and only a slim amount of time would allow them to get back to the top. They had better start climbing soon, or they'll be goners.

"Can you climb, Ben?" she asked Ben, who nodded weakly. She then pointed to the floorboards that hand holes in them.

"Let's go," she told them, and they made their way to the wall and to the broken doorway that was still open. Kate could see that they had about three floors to go through, but all of them were rather lengthy. Blue Eyes didn't seem tired at all, while Ben and Summer were managing well on their own.

Ben could barely see anything in the low lighting, and he strained for the next foothold in the floor. He could hear the scraping of metal against the floor, but he was sure it wasn't him, and he passed it off as some debris sliding down to the bottom of the ship. He kept his eyes mostly on Summer. He made sure she was in the front so in case she fell down, he'd be able to catch her.

They all climbed onto what once were walls of the second room, and they took a minute to catch their breath. Their rest was cut short by a loud shout of surprise and celebration. The four of them looked up and saw the familiar faces of the remaining Pinchers, stationed at the uppermost floor of the ship, elated to see that their leader survived.

"Leader!" One of them shouted excitedly. "You're okay!"

"You're still here?" Blue Eyes shouted back at them, confused and upset. "I thought you'd be out of here by now!"

"We did!" Another piped up. "Fifteen of us are at the surface with the evacuated Pokemon and waiting for a ship to come get us! We five stayed here to wait for you! Here! We have a ladder!"

They dropped down an industrial rope ladder, and the last of the rope flopped down to the ground. Summer and Ben exchanged hopeful looks, while Blue Eyes fought back the urge to cry. Kate, however, had to see the worst.

The ship must have hit something, and everyone braced themselves for the ship skidding down something steep. The Pinchers looked up at the hatch, and stared back worriedly.

"Leader!" one of them hollered. "All of you got to hurry! Take the ladder, and we'll pull you up!"

"Right!" Blue Eyes was the first to take the steps, but Kate stopped her. The former blue leader of the Pinchers gawked at her, wondering if she was asking to get killed this way.

"Not enough time," Kate explained, "At this rate, we're in the deep sea. You can't get out through the hatch."

"What do you mean?" Summer demanded. "That means we're going to die?"

"Calm down!" Kate snapped, and she wavered in place. Ben couldn't see her very well, since she was standing in the darker places of the room, but her breath definitely became ragged then ten minutes ago. She took out a Pokeball, and called out a Mismagius. She made several hand motions to her Pokemon, and pointed at Blue Eyes, Ben, and Summer, and pointed up at the Pinchers.

"Teleport," she commanded quietly, and the Mismagius reluctantly made a low hum, and two portals appeared, one at the top, and another right next to Ben. Blue Eyes, Summer, and the Pinchers hurried through the portals, but Ben stayed when he realized that Kate wasn't moving an inch from her spot.

"Kate!" He called out to the ex-Ranger over the rumbling. "Hurry! We've got to-"

Kate staggered to her knees, before dropping to the floor, her face hitting the ground first. Ben gasped in alarm, and he ran over to her to help her get up. He wound an arm about her side, but felt something wet and then foreign metal… blood? Kate had fallen in the lighted area of the ship, and Ben could see everything clearly now. A metal rod was protruding from her stomach and her back, and there was no way she could just pull it out and move on. To think that she had kept quiet about this for an entire ten minutes while climbing was strange to him, but his mind clicked to saving him.

"Kate!" He shouted, and tried to help the older woman up, but she caught his hand with unexpected strength and glared fiercely.

"Don't be stupid," she said slowly. "You ever considered that if you pulled me up, this beam might move… in my body?"

"B-But-" Ben sputtered, but Kate used the last of her strength to get him forward to the portal. Her Mismagius wouldn't be able to hold up this portal for long, and she didn't want such a young life wasted down here. Ben, however, refused.

"Kate…" He tried to speak, and still tried to help her up. "W-wait… I'll call my teacher-"

"No." Kate said firmly just as she began to feverishly pant from the strange feeling of the world spinning. "Don't… call him…"

"B-But you're going to die if-"

"Don't you… dare…" Kate seethed through her injuries. She could barely register the pain anymore, since that had already passed when she was climbing, and now she felt almost nothing. Her body was shutting down, and she fought to stay conscious.

"But-"

"Go!" Kate snapped into her last reserve and with a powerful shove, she pushed Ben right into the portal before the boy could even protest. The portal closed ceremoniously before her, leaving no trace behind. She had least expected this to happen, and was so confident in her ability to get them out, so much she didn't bother to bring Pokemon. The sword strapped across her back was nothing now.

She collapsed back on the ground, her body getting colder by the minute. The ex-Ranger bit back a dry laugh, realizing that all her efforts were lost. Hopefully, someone could avenge her… and that person would be enraged enough to kill them all before she could.

"And you looked so far to find me…" she muttered before letting rest overtake her.

* * *

><p>Ben burst out of the ocean's surface, gasping for breath. The portal led him a yard deeper than he should have been, and he nearly drowned, trying to get up to air. He nearly slammed into something wooden, and peered up, seeing a distant crowd of people waiting for him. They strung him a ladder, and he hastily made his way up. Everyone was happy to see that he was alive, but he was wide-eyed, and still registering the events that had happened.<p>

"Phew! Great! We made it!" Summer grinned beside him. "But, this is in the middle of the ocean, isn't it? There's no sign of land, and I'm exhausted. It's just one crisis after another, huh…?"

Blue Eyes, and the Pinchers were in the corner of the ship, shivering under their towels, given by Ice, but they looked glad to be alive. Koa and the other Pokemon were gathered around the deck, cheering and celebrating. Summer lent Ben a towel, but she was promptly rejected when Ben ignored it completely.

"You looked really comfortable floating there," Murph grinned as Ben was stalking forward. "but it's time to go home! Still, I'm glad you're safe!"

Murph's enthusiasm died when Ben stalked past him, and towards Keith, who as staring straight at the ocean. The redhead noticed Ben's twisting face and didn't think that the boy would suddenly yank his hand and pull him to the side of the ship. His face was desperate, and he constantly looked at the time.

Ben pointed at the ocean, and tried to form words, but it didn't come out right.

"Go down there."

Keith raised an eyebrow, shocked at what Ben was asking of him. What was his student trying to say…?

"You're…"

"She's down there!" Ben screamed at him. "Kate! She's down there! You have to help here! She's dying!"

* * *

><p>NOTES:<p>

[1] By "Ed", I mean this story's Keith's brother. I made very large changes to canon, and I am indeed an FMA fan, so Edward Elric does exist (he did show up), but he's not important. This isn't Dr. Edward (his nickname, which we'll learn later, is Ed, too). When that happens, I'll keep addressing Dr. Edward as Edward.

[2] Stupid writing technique, don't try this at home. I'm a lazy ass. That's all.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** _All right, lots of crying and yes, it's finally happening. Of course, all the troubles aren't over yet, but expect major unscripted chapters later._


	16. Permanent

**Tracks of Light**

**Chapter 16 – Permanent**

* * *

><p>Basil jolted upright when he heard the doorbell ring, and he bolted to the front door, his hands still trembling. The young man hesitantly opened the door, and came to face with a familiar elderly doctor.<p>

"Oh, Dr. Edward!" Basil cried, and welcomed him in and hurried to set aside slippers for the man to use. "You've made it earlier than we expected! I'm sorry that you have to come so late into the night, especially by boat from Sophian, no less!"

"Naturally," the doctor smiled weakly. "This is someone's life on the line, is it not?"

Basil didn't reply as they hurried downstairs. Every room they passed seemed to have someone in it, but they only counted on the room that was at the end of the house. Basil burst open the door, and they quickly shut the door behind them. The room was completely sterile, the walls splashed white with accents of very dull green, and before them was ring of curtains. Certain machines were running from behind, and aside from the lulling drone of the running machines, everything was still.

"If you would please, doctor," Basil gave the elderly man an abasing bow. "Please, can you help my sister?"

The doctor stepped forth and brushed aside the curtains, with Basil following closely behind. The young man was rather squeamish and uncomfortable, but he stayed. Dr. Edward said little as he assessed the damage, his eyes running up and down the patient, and he set his bag down. Turning to the only other "living" person in the room, he gave an approving nod.

"Whoever it is," he praised. "They've done good work, keeping her stabilized until I came here."

"Oh, yes," Basil nodded. "The Rangers are well-practiced with paramedical procedures."

"I see," Dr. Edward looked back at the woman on the table. "We're going to get started right away, then. Will you be my assistant, Mr. Davies?"

"Yes, sir."

Dr. Edward watched as Basil rushed off to fetch him supplies. He was impressed that a man like him would be able to amass so much equipment. Well, for the billionaire who bought Sophian Island, he couldn't be surprised, but he was amazed that Basil would actually think of having an emergency room in his own house. He honestly wondered what the man would use it for.

He looked back at the woman on the table, studying her face. She was familiar, probably someone he had seen during his travels, but she could be from anywhere, since he had gone to many places. But he could see power emanating for her. She wasn't entirely human, though her facial markings and bodily scars told all. Dr. Edward gave a small chuckle. He didn't think he'd be so close to a sleeping monster. [1]

* * *

><p>Keith was in a stormy mood for the rest of the day. He didn't dare venture near the end of the hall on the basement floor, nor did he try to come to face with anyone else. In those few hours, he had dove into the sea with Buizel's help. His hands showed proof that he had truly been desperate to find out if what Ben had said was true.<p>

As soon as they all arrived at Basil's house, Ice took Keith aside and solemnly escorted him to the large underground room that he had never been in. Afterwards, the blue haired man apologized quickly and shut the door behind him, leaving the redhead utterly alone in the room.

The Ranger wasn't sure if he was lucky enough. Ben was already in hysterics at the time Keith could barely register what he said, aside from screaming at him that someone was still in the submarine. Indeed, one of the Pinchers they rescued had enough courage to tell them that there were more of them in the submarine, but they had turned against Blue Eyes, and attempted to kill everyone who wasn't with them. From all the scratches Keith saw from all the Pinchers and Blue Eyes herself, whatever they said must have been true.

But for Kate…

Kate…

Her name lingered on his tongue, but he took no chance to say it. All the time, he talked about her in some indirect way, only enough for those closest to him to understand, but he could never say her name as freely as he used to. Not after what happened five years ago, when they promised to part when everything died down. Those years he waited, until finally, he had to give up on waiting last winter. He couldn't wait for her. He had to find her soon, because at this point, she was beginning to break her end of the deal. Her name has been theoretically cleared. She had no more reason to stay in the shadows any longer.

After much toil and drawing out information, he had hopes of getting to her somehow, but every time, the woman would slip away, now that he realized it. Everything was becoming clear that she had always been nearby, somehow, but he thought too hard, and he couldn't find her. And now, of all times, he had found her submerged at the top of an underwater vessel. She wasn't awake, and Keith nearly accepted Ben's words that she was already gone.

But he believed that Kate wouldn't die so easily. If she wasn't so tough, she'd be dead before Operation Brighton, or even before he had been pitted against her at Haruba Temple. Ben was only hysterics, Keith thought, he doesn't know how Kate truly is, but perhaps the kid knew that she would get out of it, too.

He remembered the very surprised faces of everyone when he rose out of the water with Kate under his arm, and then he got a very hard slap from Murph for manhandling her with a metal rod through her stomach. Of course, the redhead had been too desperate to consider that, and he left quickly, not wanting to see anyone's face until after.

The last he thought would happen was Basil and Ice saying nothing about Kate. To think she had hidden right under his nose the entire time, and her brother knowing about it made Keith feel like an idiot not realizing that she could be so close. He had suspected that Basil knew something, but he didn't think that he'd be helping her hide, in his own house, no less.

"Keith."

A voice shook him to his bones when he quickly turned around and saw Basil. The young man looked entirely guilty, his eyes averted away from the redhead when he turned around. Basil was still wearing red coated latex gloves… did he just get out of the operation room?

"Dr. Edward's done, but he advises no visitors until tomorrow," he said quietly. "You should be the first to see her tomorrow, though she'll still asleep."

Keith frowned, wondering how in the world Kate would be able to get up after a surgery within one day, but he went anyways. Before he made the turn to the operation room (he intended to sneak in, despite Basil's instructions), he made a detour to his student's room. The boy hadn't come out of his room once he returned, and Summer and his little Pichu partner were in there as well. There were probably more Pokemon, since the ship was brimming to the top with them, and Ben managed to take some of them back home. The rest were downstairs, all gathered in every inch of the basement.

He arrived at the door and knocked quietly, hoping he'd get an answer. Keith was greeted by the small crack in the door, and Summer looking up at him. The girl hadn't seen the light of day, and he was sure the two young Rangers were still awake.

"You… need anything?" Summer asked quietly, her voice low. Everyone else was asleep, and she didn't want to bother anyone with her loudness.

"Is Ben there?"

Summer gave a quick glance back into the room, before returning to him.

"Yes, yes, he is."

Keith raised an eyebrow, wondering if Ben was really there at all. Was he able to speak at all?

"May I see him?"

"Yes…"

The young ginger's words were hesitant, but she immediately opened the door for him to go through. She quickly tried to get out of the way, and exited the room, probably heading off to see anyone else who was awake at this hour. Keith doubted she'd find anyone, especially after these tiring events.

Koa, and several Pichu, were very quiet for Pokemon of their type. They were either sleeping on the bed, or listening to Koa needlessly pluck at the strings of its ukulele quietly, hoping not to disturb its partner, but to still entertain its friends. The yellow mouse quickly noticed Keith, and made way for him to sit down next to Ben, before chattering to its friends to go elsewhere. The little group scampered off the bed and out of the room, finding solace in the living room most likely. Keith remembered that the living room had the best acoustics for playing music in this place. He turned his attention to Ben, who had been sitting at the foot of his bed.

He didn't seem dead at all, but he was clearly staring into space. He sat cross-legged, with his arms resting on his knees. Keith could nearly guess the boy was only meditating, but his open eyes made his assumptions seem otherwise. He didn't even notice his teacher walking into the room.

"Ben?"

The boy didn't move, but he trembled slightly. Keith read everything: he was scared, and was afraid of what he would say. What for? Well, Keith could easily figure that out, and he should clear out the boy's worries.

"Kate is stable now," Keith began, earning a hopeful glance from his student. "Basil and Dr. Edward were able to finish the operation successfully, so we'll have to wait till tomorrow when she's awake."

Ben nodded, but then looked back at the wall again. As if sworn to secrecy, he brought his knees up to his chest and buried his face in his arms and knees.

"S-Sorry…"

"Hm?" Keith frowned at his student.

"S-sorry…" Ben said again. "For not telling you anything. About her."

"About Kate?" the redhead nodded, and shook his head. "No, don't be. You've had reasons not to tell me anything."

"She wouldn't have been injured if I said something…"

Keith sighed at the very dismal mood that lay around his student. He couldn't help but feel immensely sorry for him, and had begun to question his own teaching methods. He had not allowed Ben to go on overseas missions until now when he had finally gotten his Black Water abilities under control. Almia had been in relative peace for these past years, so nothing big and important had come up for Ben to experience true pressure. And today was a worst-case scenario for him and Summer, and Keith couldn't help but wonder if it was his own fault he didn't intend on training Ben for experience. He should have done better, much better. Heck, even Kate would be laughing at him if things coursed differently… or better yet, Ben would be assigned to her…

"This is your first mission, Ben," Keith finally spoke. "You still have to fresh-out-of-the-Academy feel to yourself, even after one or two years."

Ben peered up from behind his arms and looked across at his teacher, his eyes barely twinkling in agreement as the redhead continued to muse.

"You'll learn later on, throughout these missions, your own true sense of justice," Keith spoke carefully, though very embarrassed that he was sounding very cheesy, by his standards. "You'll figure out how to judge your courses of action by yourself soon only if you're calm."

He could see that Ben took in every word of it. Keith's always known that the boy was good listener, and someone like him should have a calming attitude in the field, in comparison to Summer, who was hotheaded. Have two risk-takers would be a babysitting job.

Keith got up from the bed, realizing that he had been staying a bit too long. He ruffled Ben's hair, which was surprisingly soft since the boy had taken a shower to get all the blood and grime off of himself. It all reminded him of a small child who had yet to see the whole world.

"Rangers don't cry until the mission is over. Got it?" [2]

Ben didn't answer anything back, but the unsaid conversation was taken in by both before Keith took his leave. The redhead was sure Ben would bounce back soon, and he languidly making his way down the hall, hoping that Basil wouldn't catch him in the little room where Kate stayed.

* * *

><p>The next morning was either very pleasant, or just plain abysmal. Ben woke up to find Summer missing from her bed. He was sure she had returned to the bedroom an hour before he fell asleep. At least Koa and all the other Pichu were asleep and present. And at least the living room was empty, for the most part, save for a random stranger and Basil to cook dinner.<p>

Indeed, two days ago, the Rangers, of all people, had taken in at least twenty more people under their wings, Pinchers, to be correct, Blue Eyes included. The newcomers were stricken by the notion that they were headed right into the monster's mouth. For those who already lived in the summer home, that meant overcrowded restrooms and floors littered with Pinchers slumbering in emergency sleeping bags all over the floor. Luckily, Basil had spent the previous day reserving living arrangements in the nearest inn at Renbow Village when he wasn't fretting about his sister's survival rate. The Pinchers were sent to their rooms across the island, but they've kept Blue Eyes and some core members of the group. Now, the house was less of a mess, to Leanne and Basil's relief.

Blue Eyes, who had been kept under scrutinizing eyes, rarely talked to Ben or Summer, perhaps a bit with the older Rangers, when they could force her to talk. She was allowed to wander about the house, only in certain areas, but she was cut off from all communication with anyone else but the household. This didn't make her any happier, since most of her surviving subordinates were stationed in Renbow Village. The only nice thing she did was help Basil and Leanne with the cooking, to further Murph and Nema's excitement for more variety on the dinner table.

Summer and Ben finally both had strength to restart heir daily patrols. They had to venture to more areas, which consumed the entirety of their day, and they'd both be back from their respective routes, tired and worn. Luckily, Basil and the others would make something by the time they came home.

Rand, Murph, and Keith didn't arrange any debriefings or meetings once they came back, surprisingly. Rand had been spending a lot of time helping at the Wireless Tower, and Keith rarely left Kate's side. That only left Murph to simply send the only Rangers available out on patrol, to relieve himself of managing seven other Pichu that came along with Koa. He hoped that Ben and Summer would find the time to return them back to Dolce Island, where the Pinchers had taken them from.

"We'll head to Booker's house, then," Summer added. "I sure hope he takes the job... fixing the Union…"

Not long after the rescue, Keith had noticed that there were some worn parts of the ship that needed to be fixed if it wanted to be ridden again. The Rangers had been deferring the repair issue for a while now…

"Not only will he take it," Rand chuckled as he readied for another trip to the Wireless Tower. "I'll bet Booker jumps for joy. You'll learn why soon enough..."

Surely, when Ben and Summer arrived at the cottage to ask the old shipbuilder, he was ecstatic, not about the Union, though. In fact, the moment they stepped into the cottage, Booker literally pounced on them and was crying tears of joy. He had heard of what had happened at Mitatonga Island, but never got the chance to see what became of the Rangers after that.

"Ohh! It's you!" he cried. "I'm so glad y'all safe."

It took much time for Booker to settle down and notice the sudden outbreak of Pichu in his room, in his workshop, no less.

"By the by," Booker raised his eyebrows warily, wondering if they weren't just going to pounce on the band saw he had in the corner. "Where was these Pichu anyway...?"

"These are the Pichu from Dolce Island," Ben explained. "We found more Pokemon from the submarine, so we're returning them back home."

"So the Pinchers did pinch them!" Booker nodded and petted the nearest Pichu on the head. "What a terrible bunch! It's probably been really hard for these Pichu. Did you remember to thank the two Rangers and Koa? Oh, I see, I see. You're all good little Pichu. You've been raised right."

The old man stood up and noticed that Koa had come along, but had stayed back beside Ben and Summer. Nick was away on an errand, but Booker could do adjustments just fine.

"I've got a little present for all of you" he patted the worktable. "Koa, come here for a spell. Let me borrow your ukulele for a sec."

The little Pichu joined the man at the worktable and laid the blue instrument on the table. Ben and Summer glanced at each other, wondering what the old shipbuilder was doing. Soon, Booker gave a finished sigh and he returned the small ukulele to Koa.

"Here it is!" the man exclaimed. "I've improved the ukulele's response to electric shock. With this, now you can play longer, purtier melodies than before."

Koa, excited that it could play more music, began twanging at the strings. Electricity coursed through these strings, and music filled the room with a new melody. Summer looked at Ben, wondering if he had taught the little Pichu another song, and he smiled sheepishly, but barely.

"Isn't that great, Pichu?" Summer lifted Koa into the air, and the little Pichu squeaked excitedly. The other Pichu joined in, surrounding Summer and Booker in a little pond of yellow fur.

"We're going to take Pichu to Dolce island now," Ben interrupted the little party with a cough following. The Pichu stopped chattering, and they all gathered around Ben, though quietly. Booker gave Koa a small rub behind the ears and looked at the little Pichu at Ben's feet.

"can take one of the boat there, but listen now, Pichum," He said wistfully. "You can take one of the boat there, but listen now, Pichu. The boat you'll take to Dolce Island's pretty small. Don't get too excited and start roughhousin'. The boat'll tip and you'll go splash into the ocean."

All of the little yellow mice squeaked affirmatively, and Ben slowly opened the door for all of them to leave. The dock wasn't too far away, and they clambered into the wooden boat. Summer went along with them, but Ben stayed behind, since he needed to tell Booker something. The old shipbuilder looked out the window and watched Summer laugh as the little Pichu was sitting on her head.

"I'll miss them a little," he muttered. "But it's for the best…"

"Those Pichu just came back by ship," Ben added. "But they were really well mannered. The ship was very big, and they didn't once get lost in it."

"Huh?" Booker looked at the young Ranger. "A big ship in Oblivia?"

"Yes, we brought in some backup from the Union recently, so the Union's out in the harbor of Tilt Village, and it needs fixing," Ben answered. "But… didn't we tell you this at some point?"

"The Union's In the port in Tilt Vilage?!" The shipbuilder jolted upright. "Is that the truth? It's really The Union?! Not some hunk o' junk called the Minion or something?"

"Whatever Murph called it," Ben shrugged. Honestly, he himself couldn't remember everything now, after all that had happened.

"Is that really?!" the man gawked. "And fixing! You said it needed fixing?"

"I… I guess…"

"Don't matter whether it's The Union or some old rust bucket. I need to plug the hole in the hull! And I need my tools for that. Tools... Tools..."

Booker scrambled about his workshop. He came back with a large carpet bag, presumably full of tools and Pokeballs for Pokemon who help with his work.

"I am ready to be fooled!" He was out of breath by the time he reached the door. "I don't doubt you, but I won't believe it until I can see for myself. I'll be back in a minute! I'm going to call Murph over, too!"

The old shipbuilder was ran out in a flash, leaving Ben in the dusty workshop. The young Ranger stepped out back into the humid air, and saw Summer sitting patiently in the seat. By the time he got to the dock, the expression she wore told otherwise. The Pichu, on the other hand, got even excited, forgetting Booker's warning about tipping the boat.

"What took you so long?" Summer asked, her arms folded across her chest. Ben slid onto the boat, careful not to excite the Pichu any more than he should by just being there.

"I had to tell Booker about the Union, remember?" he smiled. "He was really excited about seeing it, too."

"That's a craftsman for you," Summer pointed at the faint figure of Booker running out onto the road with Nick tailing behind. "He got out of his shop in a hurry."

"I guess he must have built the Union," Ben added. "It would explain why he's so excited about it."

"Well, that aside," Summer looked towards the small island not too far away from them. "Let's go to the Dolce Island!"

* * *

><p>From what Ben could tell, Summer really was good with children and young Pokemon, unlike he. She managed to get them to calm down in a few minutes, and the rest of the boat trip was mostly quiet, save for the awes and amused squeaks from the Pichu who were excited that they were in the middle of an endless body of blue. Ben took the paddles and did most of the grunt work, since he really didn't want to do much else.<p>

By the time they reached the docks, it was late afternoon. Summer quickly jumped off the boat with the Pichu jumping after her, and she did Ben the favor of tying the boat to the posts herself. She looked at Ben, who was now slouched on the boat, and she gave him a hand.

"Silly," she muttered. "You could have asked me to do half the work for you."

Ben didn't answer her as he took her hand. To be honest, he wasn't tired at all. Rowing a boat for three hours straight was no feat for him. All that extra conditioning Keith put him through wasn't for nothing, then.

"Well, we made it to Dolce!" Summer exclaimed. Ben remembered. Summer never came here to Dolce Island. They've only been around the mainland islands, and never anywhere else. It helped that no one lived on Dolce Island, either.

The Pichu reconvened at the beach, all chirping and squeaking happily. The island was humming in rejoice of their return. Ben could only guess that in no time, they'll be swarmed over by a pack of Urasing. Koa looked back to Ben and Summer, its eyes beaming. Ben could have guessed that it was actually crying tears of joy. While he stayed back and smiled, Summer flung her arms around the little mice, who all squeaked in surprise, and then chattered happily at her, appreciating the warm gesture.

"I'm so glad you made it back to your home, everybody!"

Surely enough, as Ben had guessed, all the Pokemon of the island curiously peered from behind the greenery. Slowly, the Pokemon emerged from their hiding places and began calling the Pichu, who also answered back.

Koa took the center stage and with a few strums from its guitar, it silenced the island, and everyone waited for the rest of the song. Ben and Summer took a seat in the sand, and watched the little Pichu expectantly.

As soon as the song began, the Pokemon began to dance, and Ben and Summer were left in awe by the end. The Rangers were then approached by Koa once more. It gave a small squeak. Ben wasn't sure what it meant... Thank you?

"No, Koa," the Ranger ruffled the little Pichu's head. "Thank you. Your cheerfulness really helped raise my spirits when we were in the Submarine. We make pretty good partners, don't we?"

Koa responded positively, but then it watched the other Pokemon file away back to the depths of Dolce Island. The little yellow mouse gave one look back to its Ranger companions, and then ran off to join the other Pokemon. Because that's just how it goes.

That's right. Ben realized that everything Pichu needed was right here. He only needed to go with Ben to find his friends and return home safely. They weren't partners for life or anything. Maybe it will be just like all those other Pokemon he's met. He almost thought they were his partners, but seems like their bonds weren't as strong as he thought.

Summer noticed her friend's crestfallen stare at the sand, and she looked back at the wooden steps where the Pichu and Koa were last seen. Her sudden gasp of excitement caught his attention, and he looked at her as she pointed excitedly.

"Look! It's Koa!"

Ben followed her gaze and saw that indeed, Koa, with its blue ukulele was struggling to rush down the steps to Ben. The little mouse fell face flat into the sand, but it got up and continued hopping towards him. Ben was at a loss for words. It came back?

"Koa?" Summer knelt down beside the Pichu. "Are you not going with everyone because you're Ben's Partner Pokemon?"

The little Pichu confirmed with a loud squeak, music to Ben's ears.

"If you want to stay here, it's okay," He tried to persuade it. "You've always been with the other Pokemon, and the whole reason you left was to save them."

Koa gave its companion a doubtful look and defiantly put its blue ukulele towards him, absolutely refusing to leave. Summer took no delay to say yes. Ben couldn't say no to that either.

"We will feel a lot safer if you come along," she said cheerfully. "It's decided. Isn't that great, Pichu?"

The little mouse jumped into Ben's arm, expecting the young Ranger to catch him. The boy held Koa tightly to his chest, and smiled at his partner. Somehow, he felt a bit better about himself this way.

* * *

><p>At first, Kate felt cold air on her arms and legs. Strange, she wondered how she could feel cold, since she usually covered herself up as much as possible at work. Blindly, she shifted about on the bed, catching the attention of a pushed chair<p>

"Kate… are you all right?" A voice began to make her vision focus. She peered around the room, seeing the familiar ceiling of the small medical bay in Basil's summer home. Her eyes fell upon a familiar man with flaming red hair, and worried brown eyes. Recognition dawned upon her, and she scrambled up, staring at him in shock, which then turned into anger.

"You…" Kate glared, and she struggled to get out of bed, but the redhead wrestled her back into the bed, pinning her arms to the mattress. Her breathing hitched, and she would have kicked him, if he didn't really tower over her fully like this.

"You won't be getting out," He said threateningly. "You just had surgery a few days ago. I suggest you don't even try."

"D-Damn you…" She growled, and then relaxed, still not happy that she was in the same room as the man. He assumed she wouldn't be going anywhere, and then sat back down on the chair beside her bed.

"It's been long enough, Kate," he said. "We should put some closure to this."

Kate didn't budge from her place, fearing that she'd fall right off the bed, or she'd damage the hard work whichever doctor had done on her. Keith was right in many ways, much to her chagrin.

"What for?" she replied wryly to his claim, posing the challenge.

"For staying away for so long. It's been a while. Why don't we re-introduce ourselves?"

* * *

><p><strong>NOTES:<strong>

_[1] I did mean this story to be for those who've played the game and know how things play out, so yes, there will be spoiler-tastic moments that people will be confused by, but everything will fall in place by the end, so please stay tuned._

_[2] Total rip from Phoenix Wright: Trials and Tribulations. Diego's words to Mia when her very first case ended in failure._


	17. Ancient

**Tracks of Light**

**Chapter 17 – Ancient**

* * *

><p>Kate always remembered the countless times she had to be placed in a hospital bed because of her somewhat reckless behavior, much to her friends' dismay. It had been five years or so, maybe three. Oh, Kate couldn't remember. She had promised to herself that she'd never see him again until she found the truth about what had happened years ago. The woman could only see him through pictures and camera feed, but never could she allow herself to meet him again, save for that one time he was conveniently there at the train station in Johto.<p>

"Why did you have to leave?"

To the point as always, that Keith, Kate mused quietly to herself. Maybe that's what she loved about him.

She trod carefully. "You remember what we said… on the last day?"

The redhead's pained expression didn't falter, and he held to her hand more tightly.

"Yeah," Keith nodded. "And I wanted to stop you."

"But you didn't," she reminded him tonelessly.

"But 'we'll see each other,'" Keith grumbled. "But when would that be? Knowing you, I'd estimate it would be at least a full lifetime before we saw each other again… You have something important to do, don't you?"

Kate didn't shake her head, "Yes, it is important, and I didn't think you'd want to know it either."

Keith paused, his brown eyes studying her. He still looked pained, especially when his eyes fell upon the nasty scar on the side of her face. It reminded him of that one time when he couldn't save her from that time at the top of the Altru Tower, and when Kate's entire career was destroyed by a simple monster of a man.

"You're no longer guilty of what you did anymore, you know?"

"Of course I do," the ex-Ranger eyed the medical instruments lying haplessly on a tray next to her bed. She had read the papers, and admired Keith's actions, trying so hard for two years to clear her name, and clear her name he did. Honestly, Kate thought this had happened too soon.

"I'll respect your silence," Keith looked away from her. "You can tell me after you have recovered."

"I see," the woman nodded slowly. "You aren't…"

"I-I'm… not angry at you anymore," Keith sighed. "I'm just glad you're back… I haven't seen in a while, Kate."

"Right back at you, Keith."

* * *

><p>Ben returned home, slightly happier than usual, according to Basil, and everyone was more than surprised that the Ranger had returned home with Koa.<p>

"Koa's back!" Nema danced around Ben and Koa. "I thought he was gonna stay on Dolce!"

"Nah," Summer laughed. "Koa's going to stay with Ben. Now, aren't you happy to have a Partner now, Ben?"

Ben laughed nervously when his partner punched his arm playfully. "Y-yeah…"

"That's good," Leanne smiled warmly. "I'm glad you managed to form bonds with a Pokemon strong enough to be your partner. I've heard from Rand that it's a difficult process. It takes about a year to form a bond through normal means. And how long did that take you… a month or two?"

"I guess…" Ben returned the smile, and he set Koa down on the counter while he got to work with Summer to set up the dinner table. The table was going to be less crowded, as most of the defected Pinchers were housed in Renbow Village. When Basil called everyone over for dinner, Ice, Blue Eyes, Murph, and the other Pinchers shuffled in, and they seated themselves on the farthest end of the table. Rand had arrived most conveniently, much to his wife's joy.

As soon as they started, Keith came back, and Basil directed him to two trays of food. The redhead thanked the young man and took both trays with him. Ben looked at Basil questioningly, wondering why his teacher would be carrying two trays by now.

"My sister just woke up today," He answered. "Knowing Keith, he wants to stay by her side for a while."

"Kate is awake!" Nema cheered. "It's good that her boyfriend is here, too. They need to have lots of fun together!"

"Nema," Leanne corrected her daughter. "Don't say things like that at the dinner table. And you should leave those two alone. I'm sure they need space."

Murph congratulated Basil on his sister's recovery, while Blue Eyes ate silently, eyes set on Basil, but still not saying a word or compliment.

"That's great, though." Rand continued. "You don't suppose she'll be able to help us now, would she?'

"She's awake, but she's going to be confined to a wheelchair for a week," Ice folded his arms. "Even if she's like Ben and Keith, she too needs to recover from her operation. Walking still is painful for her at this point."

"Ah, I see," Rand nodded understandably and didn't question it. He didn't fully understand how and why Black Water really worked, so he couldn't argue against Ice and Basil, who probably know more about it than he did.

"I bet Keith's going to hold a meeting soon, since Kate is awake now," Rand said. "I think we've been avoiding this long enough, after all the exceptions that happened."

"I'll relay it to him later," Basil nodded. "Oh, and now that we're done, let's clean up a bit. Hopefully, this will be easier with more people in the house."

* * *

><p>Kate ate rather quickly, even though Keith had told her not to eat so fast. It couldn't be helped, since she hadn't eaten for a while. She didn't expect any pain to the rest of her body anymore, so she didn't heed his warnings. Keith was wondering if she ate faster just to spite him.<p>

When they were finished, they worked to put away the dishes. Kate couldn't do much, being confined to a bed. She then watched Keith's retreating figure before he stopped and posed a question.

"What will happen now?" He asked her.

"Those Pinchers won't be back for a while," Kate confirmed. "Ben won't be doing much other than patrolling."

"He's still weak, though."

"Yeah," Keith agreed. "He still is… this is his first big mission, after all."

"Really?" Kate frowned. "Well… I guess… He's gets surprised too easily. You don't happen to have anything in store for the boy, do you?"

"It's difficult to say," Keith set the trays down. "It's not like this situation is the same as it was for us, you know."

"You're right. Dim Sun didn't have to hide themselves well, since they were funded by Altru, and Almia isn't a rainforest. Those Pinchers would need to hide more, so there's less opportunity for Ben and Summer to face them and get stronger that way."

"Exactly," Keith nodded. "Unless we find some 'dungeon clearing' type of place for them, those two's progress will be slow."

"'Dungeon clearing?'" Kate seemed most intrigued with his idea. "You mean like the Battle Arena back in Almia?"

"Um… yeah, something like that. It's a childish idea, but I wish there was something like that here in Oblivia."

"Dungeon clearing…" Kate thought carefully, and straightened. "Keith, after you put those dishes away, can you take me to Basil's office?"

Keith was surprised by the ex-Ranger's sudden burst of energy, but he said nothing about, and hurried away to the kitchen with the tray in his hands. He returned shortly, and quickly helped Kate into a nearby wheelchair. He nearly stopped her from falling over from the bed, and steadied her.

"Honestly," he sighed. "Just what's making you so excited?"

"You gave me an idea," Kate struggled onto the wheelchair. Keith looked all the more doubtful.

"You sure you can handle this?"

"I'll be fine," Kate said to him. "You probably don't mind moving me around anyways."

"Well, I guess…"

Keith didn't want to ask what Kate had in mind. He trusted her enough to just let it be a surprise to him.

Kate and Keith reached Basil's office, which thankfully was on the same floor as the hospital room. Basil and Ice seemed to have turned in early without doing any work, which was understandable, and that left the entire space to the two of them. Keith positioned Kate close to the computers, and she quickly turned them on, typing in various access codes. The screen turned on, and Keith was in for a small spectacle.

Kate's words about what she was showing is curt and to the point, but Keith understood it all. His mouth was left open, wondering why he hadn't thought of this before.

"So…" Kate closed the computer off. "What do you say? I obviously can't go, since I can't walk for a while."

"It's… brilliant. We should tell Murph early in the morning."

* * *

><p>As Rand had predicted, Keith had called him and Summer in for the morning. He seemed in better spirits this time, much to his student's relief. However, Ben was surprised when he noticed a new member in the room. Kate was sitting in a wheelchair beside his teacher. Basil and Ice seemed to encourage the fact that Kate was talking to Keith now. Ben was surprised that there were little to no tension between the two of them, even though they had been separated for five years. Murph, as usual, led the meetings. He seemed on edge, but he was pretty happy. There was no one else in the room, however, as they had gone to work.<p>

"You two seem to have gotten better!" Murph greeted them. "We're going to be discussing the Pinchers, today!"

"The Pinchers?" Summer frowned. "What about everyone else?"

"Don't worry about them," Keith said. "Just take a seat, because this is a mission for you two only."

They seated themselves beside Basil and Ice, and then looked at Murph for further instruction.

"So, about the Pinchers?

"Y-yes," Murph said uneasily. "Their organization is probably at a standstill. They have only a couple hundred members. I heard that it's hard to become part of the Pinchers, so the fact that more than a quarter of them were supposedly booted or killed back at the submarine incident…"

"With a major chunk of their forces gone," Keith continued. "They'll need time to recuperate, just like Blue Eyes has told us. That will give us a month to prepare. That's good for Ben, and Summer, too."

The two youngest Rangers exchanged glances and looked at Keith, wondering what he meant.

"Ben and Summer been doing quite well during their mission so far," Murph coughed for their attention. "But according to my assessment along with our senior Rangers, you two still have a long way to go."

Summer wanted to speak against Murph, while Ben said nothing. Murph was correct, since he knew there were many things he couldn't do yet.

"Those Pinchers will be stronger the next time we meet," Keith said. "We should prepare you for the next wave of attacks."

"But… how are we going to get stronger?" Summer asked. "You can't just get stronger within a month."

"There is a way," Kate interrupted them as she pulled herself closer to the table. "There's something I'd like you two to do to keep yourselves busy. You're going to have to trust me on this."

Everyone fell silent, as it was the first time Kate spoke to them as a whole. Ben found it strange to hear another voice in the room.

"Do you remember when you met Ravio, Ben?" the woman stared directly at him.

"Ravio?" Summer looked between the two questioningly. "Who is this 'Ravio'?"

"A young boy from the past," Kate answered. "While Ben was here, he had been approached by Celebi."

"Celebi?!" Summer jumped. "The Pokemon of time?! But how…?"

"We don't know exactly," Kate shook her head. "Honestly, I don't know, either. But lately, Ben has made a few trips to the past with Celebi, and had met with the people of ancient time. Isn't that correct, Ben?"

"Y-yeah…" he said quietly. Ravio and Celebi had escaped his mind for the past several days, and now that he thought about it, he worried what was going on back there when he was away.

"You should recall that there was a crisis going on in the past," Kate explained. "It's completely out of date, so there are no records of this event, apart from a handful of runes and ancient scripts. Long ago, there were people who played the same roles as Pokemon Rangers, and they called themselves temple oracles. They also functioned as the government for the ancient civilization in Oblivia. However, the time you arrived, things had been going out of control. The government itself was collapsing because the temple oracles weren't doing what they were supposed to."

"Okay," Ben said slowly. "But how did you do know? Was it by accident?"

"Yes," Kate answered. "Celebi probably recognized the two of us as strong Rangers and took us back to the past to help fix the situation. I came earlier than you did, and I met with Ravio. I didn't understand what was going on, but he asked for my help, so all I did was help him learn to be a temple oracle. The principles are the same as learning to use a Styler… When the temple oracles' conditions worsened, I was asked to help save the temple oracles. That was when you started arriving at the same time as I did, Ben."

"Celebi had designated me to take care of these issues," Kate looked at her legs. "But it seems that that it predicted my accident, so it started approaching you, hoping to prepare you to take over this task."

"Oh…" Ben said. "but why me? Why people from the future?"

"I still am not sure about it either," Kate said. "Celebi can be an impulsive Pokemon, and it will think of the fastest solution possible, with good intentions. However, there is more to this, so if Leanne can find more information on this, we'll be able to find out why this is happening."

"Yes," Murph nodded. "We'll have Leanne change her plans."

"Anyways," Kate turned to Ben. "This month should allow you to prepare for the oncoming events. We don't know what these Pinchers are after, capturing Pokemon like this and going after the runes of the ocean, but I bet my money that if we understand what happened in the past, we'll be able to be one step ahead of them. I'd say that you need a lot more practice. Keith has told me this is your first overseas mission, Ben, so you better brace yourself."

"Yes!" Ben bowed respectfully. Kate and Keith smiled at the boy's willingness to help.

"Basil has made a simple tracking system to any warps in time," Kate nodded to the monitor. "Celebi tends to make them around Renbow Island, as it is the main island, and also was a former center of commerce for ancient Oblivians. Your job is to take my place in these missions. You must head towards the next time warp so Celebi can take you back to the past. There you will play your parts to help the past complete its passage."

"Conveniently," Basil pointed to the monitor. "Celebi's next appearance will be at Renbow Island's runes! It'll be arriving in half an hour. You guys should get going soon. I suggest you use your Signs to get there as fast as possible. And don't worry about patrolling. Rand might take time off to help out, and Keith is going out, too."

"Right," Ben nodded. "Summer and I are ready to go."

"Good," Keith nodded. "I'm assuming you have enough information now."

Ben gave another respectful bow and excused himself. He was just leaving the door when Kate's voiced reached his ears.

"Oh, and Ben?"

He turned around and listened carefully.

"I have already cleared the Forest Temple for you," Kate said. "So according to the people of that time, the Forest Temple will serve as good training grounds for you to start with."

Ben understood and gave another bow before leaving. Koa, who was waiting outside, leapt onto his shoulders. It had listened eagerly with some of the other partner Pokemon in the house, and now the little Pichu was enthusiastic that its partner was going to be doing something.

* * *

><p>"So this is where Basil said it would be," Summer leapt off of Staraptor's back while Ben called the legendary beast off. He was more surprised at how much faster Raikou had gone, so fast that no one noticed them passing by. Perhaps it was more willing to listen to him more now.<p>

"Well, you can't see where Celebi is," Ben shrugged, "so we'll have to wait just a bit."

Koa was more than a little excited, and it leapt from every piece of rubble it could reach. Ben laughed at the little Pichu's enthusiasm, but his smile faltered when he remembered the last time he went to the past. He patted Koa's little head and apologized.

"Sorry, Koa," he said. "But it's just going to be me and Summer who's going back. Pokemon from the present can't go back to the past."

Even though the boy said it, the little Pokemon remained as happy as ever. Summer noticed the still excited Pokemon, and laughed along with Ben.

"He's happy," she stated. "You've been a little glum that we've only been doing patrols. Say, isn't this exciting?"

"I guess," Ben agreed. "Not in a fun sense, though…"

A small hum interrupted their conversation, and the two Rangers stiffened in place, searching about the ruins. A glowing green figure appeared before them, and when the light dissipated, Summer nearly shrieked in fright.

"I-It's Celebi!" Summer gasped. "So it really was here!"

"Bii!" the green Pokemon nodded, and its attention turned to Ben.

"You've heard what happened to Kate, didn't you?" Ben asked, and received a firm nod. Celebi began to understand what the two Rangers wanted, and it backed away from them, singing a song.

"Summer, stay close."

"Eh?!" The redheaded girl flushed red, but Ben didn't take any answer and yanked her close, right before they were encased in a sphere of time and were gone in a pop.

* * *

><p><em>Ravio was getting better at predicting when Miss Katrina would come back. He'd somehow sense the strange feeling in the air of a foreign object in time. This time, it was at the very try he first met her. It had been a week since she had returned and finished clearing the second floor of the Flame Temple, and thanks to Dasios's training, he had gotten even better with Miss Katrina's training included.<em>

_He was eager to show what he had learned and how better he had gotten at befriending Pokemon. Aggressive Pokemon were still a difficulty, but it was taking him less time. The other rescued temple Oracles were still recuperating, and were not due to wake up anytime soon, and Dasios needed his rest._

_He recalled the last time they tried to talk to rescued temple oracles as soon as they emerged from the Forest Temple with Miss Katrina. The first time it happened, Tanvir and Kira were more than surprised that Kate had cleared the first level. They didn't really trust her at this time, and set the temple clearing as a test of worthiness. Ravio, the proud student he was, allowed her to go, betting on the fact that she would make it back with the temple oracles in her arms._

_However, the first temple oracle was shocked at what he had done. It didn't help that Tanvir and Kira were still in shock they fired all sorts of questions to him. The poor man couldn't take the pressure and nearly broke, had it not been for the elders' intervention._

_The second temple oracle Miss Katrina rescued was just as clueless about the situation. Tanvir and Kira had suspected that the oracles couldn't remember anything because they were wearing the armor for catching Pokemon, and the oracle then blurted out that the Forest Captain coerced him into wearing the armor. Tanvir couldn't believe that Dasios would do that, especially a kind man like Dasios._

_The third time Miss Katrina came back, they confirmed that Dasios had been causing trouble, even though it didn't make any sense. Ravio was beginning to get worried about everyone, especially his father. Tanvir's reassurance was somewhat helpful, since Ellios was the strongest temple oracle who would not fall for such tricks, but he still couldn't help but worry._

_Then Miss Katrina decided to claim the final level of the temple. This time, she turned to Ravio._

"_It's your turn to begin clearing these dungeons."_

"_M-me?" He pointed to himself._

"_R-ravio?!" Kira dropped whatever she was holding. "Katrina! You aren't thinking of-"_

"_Ravio is a strong boy," his teacher reasoned. "Besides, Dasios sounds like a strong person, so one more person coming with me won't hurt."_

_Ravio was more than willing to go with his teacher, and what a successful run it was! He and his teacher were working together, and they even managed to do a Unison Capture! He remembered Tanvir and Kira's look of shock when he came back with Dasios and Katrina, eyes beaming, and most unharmed._

_Katrina continued help them, until Ben started arriving into the past. Katrina was puzzled when Ravio first mentioned him, but the second time he came with Katrina, Katrina completely ignored him, despite the fact that they probably knew each other. Perhaps Celebi accidentally dragged another person in?_

_He waited by the tree until the bubble appeared, and out popped two unfamiliar figures. Ravio sprang to his feet, his eyes on full alert. More than one person? Did his teacher bring more?_

"_O-ow…" A girl's voice come from the heap of people. That was definitely not Kate._

"_Ben!" the girl stood up. "You should have warned me or something!"_

"_S-sorry, Summer."_

_The last thing Ravio expected was standing up from the grass, his face wearing a sheepish smile._

"_Y-you…"_

"_Hm?" Ben turned around and smiled at Ravio. "Oh, Ravio."_

"_Where's Miss Katrina?" the little boy demanded._

"_Whoa, calm down there, boy!" the girl called "Summer" tried to make him sit down. "Let Ben here explain."_

_The boy calmed down and listened carefully to Ben, who sat opposite of him on the tree's large roots. When Ben was finished, Ravio seemed to trust them a bit more._

"_I see, so Miss Katrina sent you in her place," he said. "Anyways, we're going to be clearing the Fire Temple once and for all today! Thanks to Miss Katrina and Dasios, I'm able to take on the next floors with everyone else!"_

"_That's nice to hear, Ravio," Summer grinned. "So, shall we go then, Ben?"_

"_Yeah."_

_Ravio didn't exactly trust the two of them, suddenly arriving, and Miss Katrina not coming back for a while. But honestly, he felt very happy. Ben and Summer were closer to his age, so maybe they'd be able to understand each other more…_

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** _Trying to compile all of this into two or three chapters, because this is only backstory. I'm really hoping to finish this story together soon, as it is important for another story. This story is mostly meant for those who have played the game completely before, so it's a little hard to follow if you haven't played the game. Also, please excuse my decline in writing._


	18. Doubts

**Tracks of Light**

**Chapter 18 – Doubts**

* * *

><p><em>Ravio made sure to take his time walking through the forest with both Ben and... the other Pokemon Ranger. He took the walk to explain the situation, like he usually did for everyone else. Both of the Rangers weren't nearly as scary as Katrina (they called her "Kate"), but they carried similar auras of power far greater than a high ranking Temple Oracle. They were strangers, but somehow, because they were like his teacher, there was an immediate sense of trust between him and those Rangers.<em>

_They arrived to the same almost empty village square, where they met Kira and Tanvir again. The former temple oracles were shocked over Ben's return, and Ravio had to explain all over again. When they finally understood, both sides gave a quick bow as an apology._

_"I look forward to working with you," Tanvir shook Ben and Summer's hands. "If you are acquainted with Katrina, they you are also our ally."_

_Ben saw a tent behind them where several men and women peeked from the folds of the entrance. They seemed well built, so bye must have been the temple oracles that Kate had already rescued._

_A very young man decked out in bright green robes came forth, offering a small smile, mostly towards Ravio. [1]_

_"We have five oracles ready to go," he said in a soft voice. "But we won't be able to send more than three with you, since our attribute will not be able to withstand the fire attribute of the Fire Temple, especially when it's Fiegos."_

_"It's all right," Ravio grinned. "I have help with me today!"_

_Dasios looked from between Ben and Summer, and then to Ravio._

_"Are these like Miss Katrina?" the man asked. "Those… 'Rangers' from the future?"_

_"Exactly," Ravio nodded. The Forest temple oracle gave a respectful nod. Ben was rather surprised that these people were taking this well. Maybe because Kate came here first, they didn't feel too surprised that others could come here. Even better, they didn't even ask why he was here instead of Kate._

_"We are eternally grateful for your assistance," Dasios approached them._

_"Thank you, sir," Ben bowed hesitantly, and Summer quickly bowed after him._

_"With the help we have here," Tanvir exclaimed. "It looks like we can go back to the Fire Temple again!"_

_Everyone who was part of the resistance effort cheered loudly, their proud voices echoing past Ben and Summer's ears._

_"When do we start?" Summer asked Tanvir._

_"Today."_

_Summer wanted to protest, but she let her hands fall, accepting of the situation. Apparently, the situation must be pretty serious if they were going to have to learn on the job._

_Kira emerged from the tents with a trio of temple oracles. They didn't wear long flowing robes like Dasios, but they wore a fair amount of armor. Ben recognized the armor just like the ones he saw the last time he came here, but none of the three wore their helmets like before. He could have sworn that this was a military faction, not a group of peacekeepers._

_"Generally," Kira explained. "Katrina would be the one leading these expeditions, since she seemed to be the most able out of all of us at first. I'm sure one of you two could lead these missions in her stead."_

_Ben and Summer both exchanged glances. Neither of them felt like they were up for the job. Ben only came here a few times, and he never explored those temples that Kate spoke of. Summer never even stepped foot into this world before._

_"However," Kira pointed to one of the armored men. "We understand that you two need time to adjust to our world. I'll be asking my brother Thane to take care of the missions for now until we reach the final level of the Fire Temple."_

_The woman looked at her brother, asking if he would approved. The man merely said he didn't mind, and the situation was solved._

_"Well, then," Dasios clapped his hands. "We must be back before nightfall. I urge that we prepare to leave in half a moment's time."_

_Summer and Ben were the only ones standing still as everyone else set on walking back to the tents or into the sheds. Ravio had already went away, too. After a half hour, Ben could see that the boy was wearing armor of his own size. He looked very nervous, but nevertheless, he looked proud at being able to do something. A Piplup followed closely behind him. When he and Ben locked eyes again, he laughed lightly at Ben._

_"You're just like Miss Katrina, aren't you? You're going into the temples without any armor and all... People must be very strong in the future..."_

_Ben bristled at the comment, but he guessed that wearing armor would do him no good anyways. If he was the same as Kate, he'd have no problems traversing a temple without any armor. He couldn't say the same for Summer, but if he dared ask her about it, she'd probably get all defensive and not fit on any armor if he tried._

_"Ah!" Summer knelt down beside Ravio's partner. "That's an adorable Piplup you have there! Is it your partner?"_

_"Y-yeah..." The boy smiled sheepishly. "My teacher helped me with this one. It was the first Pokemon I bonded with manually."_

_Summer and Ben gave puzzled looks, "Manually?"_

_"Miss Katrina, Tanvir, and Kira didn't want any of us to use the full extent of the armor to befriend the Pokemon," Ravio explained. "So we have to use a technique that involves befriending Pokemon with our own hands, without the armor. But the technique has not been used much ever since people started using the armor, and it takes a year or so to learn. Most temple oracles know it by theory."_

_"I see," Summer laughed. "I think we're wasting time standing around. You can explain to us later."_

_"Good point, Summer," Ben nodded. "We should get going."_

_"But wait!" Ravio stopped them from proceeding. "I just remembered! You can't just go into the temple without support!"_

_"You mean other teammates?" Ben blinked. "I think that has been already covered."_

_"I meant Pokemon," Ravio took both Rangers by the hand and took them inside the tent. "We have enough time, so you should try to choose someone to go with you into the temple."_

_They were led into a small yard in the room, and the first thing that Ben laid his eyes on was a flaming Quilava, playfully chasing a flock of Torchic. A large assortment of Pokemon were scattered about the yard, waiting to leave with their designated partners._

_"You should take one along with you," Ravio gestured to a Pidgey that perched on his arm. "Miss Katrina caught most of these Pokemon. Perhaps they'll listen to you, too."_

_Ben could only see a wide range of possibilities with every Pokemom he saw. He had to chose quickly, and he befriended the Luxio that was sleeping at his feet. Summer took an instant liking to the Pidgeotto, and the large majestic bird willingly joined her. They returned to Ravio, who was more than excited now to go into the Fore Temple. The three children were close to the exit of the tent when Dasios emerged from the depths of the tent._

_"Ravio," he call to the blue armored boy. "I would like to speak with you before you leave."_

_"Sure thing," the boy turned to both Summer and Ben. "You can get to the meeting place, right?"_

_"Of course we'll find it," Summer smiled. "Don't worry about us."_

_Ben also gave a firm nod before heading out with Luxio trailing behind him._

_Ravio looked at the head of the Forest Temple, eyes and ears waiting for anything important._

_"Is there anything you wanted to tell me?"_

_Dasios clenched the folds of his robes. "It makes me uncomfortable to share this with you..."_

_"What's wrong, sir?"_

_Dasios breathed deeply. "Ravio... What I'm about to tell you nothing but the truth. So brave yourself as you listen._

_ "The only who can control us temple oracles is the Golden Oracle... That means, Ellios, your father is suspected of these crimes."_

_Dasios watched the boy's fist clench and relax a few times, but there came no childish denial that a father could do such things. Ravio only calmly stared ahead._

_"I see," he said carefully. "But how many people know about this?"_

_"Tanvir... Kira..." Dasios tried to count. "But a majority of our team have a hunch that it would happen."_

_"The next time," Ravio turned on his heel. "If they have anything, I hope you can tell them that just because I'm much younger than them, I'd hate to be out of the loop."_

_"I will bring that up at the debriefing," Dasios nodded. "But I should warn you of one thing. I'm only sharing with you the facts about the mysterious power of Ellios's Golden Armor. I don't know what's on his mind... Except..."_

_Ravio, intrigued by the additional information, turned around abd looked back at the temple oracle, "Except?"_

_"Lately, Ellios has been wondering how to control this Pokemon called Arceus in the Light Temple," the man answered hesitantly. "I don't know why... But no one else knows, perhaps only the head temple oracles like me are aware... Your father is in serious trouble, so you should know what he was doing while you become more active alongside us."_

_"Thank you, Dasios," Ravio smiled. "I'll be leaving now."_

_Dasios watched the departing figure of the boy, still amazed by his endurance. The boy came at an unfortunate time and place, but he carried himself too well after those months of training with his foreign teacher. From behind, he really looked a young man, marching away to an unknown fate._

* * *

><p><em>Somewhere in an elevated tower of glass stood a man in armor almost made of pure gold. Compared to the rest of his subjects, he was a literal king. Beside him was a large entity of a Pokemkn, pure white, adorned with the gems that circled the yellow arc around its torso. The man in gold felt satisfaction in his recent accomplishments, finally able to brig down a god with a mere mystical piece of metal.<em>

_"Now Arceus as is at my command," he declared to anyone in the temple. "The Golden Armor was not enough, but this shiny orb has given me extra power. You did well in obtaining this orb, Sabios."_

_His right-hand man graciously bowed to his superior, very pleased with himself. He did not wear his helmet today, displaying a proud cascade of pure white hair that framed an aged face. Sabios was confident that no harm would be done to him, now that Ellios had a god under control. He felt pride for his younger brother, for himself as well, when he have a slow gracious bow._

_"I'm honored to serve you, great Ellios."_

_Ellios looked out to the overhead view of the islands. The Light Temple was always so far up, yet it could never be seen by the human eye. Pokemon, however, were very aware of the literally floating building. As of the recent happenings, less Pokemon took the liberty of stopping by, hoping this we what was inside the temple this time. Perhaps the appearance of a more superior Pokemon kept them all away. For once, Ellios felt alone at the thought of it._

_"I'm well aware of the suffering of the Pokrmkn whose powers were absorbed by the orb..." The man in gold voiced his concerns. "And those poor Steelhead, but we must be patient. Just a bit longer and Arceus will bring about the ideal world for Pokemon and man."_

_Sabios, even more delighted, showered his superior with praise. "With your power that controls even Arceus, you'll surely bring prosperity to everyone. We'll live happily ever after. Alone with Ravio."_

_Before Ellios could answer, a familiar sound of clanking metal plates entered the main chamber of the Light Temple. An exhausted subordinate emerged, his arms sweaty and his chest heaving._

_"Ellios," the newcomer exclaimed. "This is horrible! The Forest Temple has been taken over!"_

_Sabios's eyes fell upon the Steelhead, wary about the situation._

_"When has this occurred?"_

_"Just a few days ago! We were confused as to why Dasios did not come to his summons today, but there are reports of a resistance against your policies, Ellios!"_

_"Normally those oracles wouldn't stand a chance against even Dasios," Sabio commented. "What could have possibly been the reason for them to grow so strong to beat Dasios within three days?"_

_"I'm no sure, sir," the Sfeelhead answered, still catching his breath. "But according to reports by the sentries from below, three suspicious persons were seen conspiring with the resistance. All the members of the consquered Forest and Fire Temple are also part of the rebel group."_

_"What?!" Ellios shouted. "I wasn't aware of anyone so tough... Sabios! Reinforce the Temple guard! Don't let anyone enter!"_

_Sabios only gave a satisfied smile, bowing deeply to his king. This worked out much better than expected._

_"Certainly, my lord."_

* * *

><p><em>Ben didn't think he'd come back to those large doors that he found the last time Celebi brought him to the past. He shifted around uneasily, watching the other temple oracles readjust their armor. Ravio and Thane were speaking with each other as soon as the boy came back. When the two looked and saw that the whole team was present, they gathered together at the temple doors. Kira and Tanvir were also present <em>

_"Time flows mysteriously in the temples," they instructed the team, probably for the umpteenth time. "You'll be brought back from them_

_after a certain period of time. Please finish the mission within that time."_

_"Another thing you must know," Kira added. "You must fulfill the conditions of each temple before proceeding to the guardians of the temple."_

_"Yes, sir!"_

_Ben and Summer exchanged glances, one of apprehension, and another of excitement. Kira and Tanvir both pulled open the doors, the large slabs of stone sliding open with an ominous rumbling. As soon as there was enough room to go through, everyone began filing into the temple._

_Ravio and Thane went first, followed by the other two temple oracles who were assigned. Ben and Summer waited for a while, before rushing into the temple themselves._

_Hot air hit Ben's face as soon as he entered the temple. The Luxio beside him immediately went on alert, and he also scanned the area. He had vaguely heard Thane voice out commands to capture four Bastidon. He watched the oracles disperse themselves into different directions of the temple. He watched Ravio closely as the boy crossed over one of the red glowing squares on the floor. As soon as his entire body was above the plate, he disappeared with a pop. Summer flinched at the sound of it. She and the Pidgeotto were uneasy about this form of transportation, but she stepped forth anyways. They had to adapt to this situation if they wanted to help._

_They stepped through the so called "portal" and the two Rangers found themselves in an entirely new chamber. The walls were the same, but this was a new corridor before them. Ben went in first and tried to find any Bastidon. Large dinosaurs like them would be too hard to miss. His mind was pulled back when Summer stopped short and ran in a different direction._

_"Ravio!" She called after the person who she had found. Ben rushed after her, with Luxio scampering behind him._

_Without looking around the corner, Ben whipped out his Styler, and joined Summer as soon as he rounded into the second room. An upset Bastidon was sending rocks flying at the two Rangers, who rolled over to the sides of the room. Their Pokemon partners, despite the type disadvantage, also fought alongside their designated companions. Even so, the Bastidon was resilient against giving in, and Ben was starting to believe this was getting tough. It wasn't long before Ravio rushed forward, and took the little push left to calm the Bastidon down. In just a few minutes, the young boy was being nuzzled by the large Pokemon._

_Ravio giggled at the touch of rough skin rubbing against his cheek, and he scratched the reptile's chin, and the Pokemon crooned at the warm gesture. Ben and Summer watched in stupor as Ravio led the Bastion out of the chamber. It was then when he noticed that the Rangers had seen almost everything._

_"Oh."_

_"That was amazing!" Summer beamed at Ravio. "You just used your bare hands!"_

_"Was it really?" Ravio blinked. "I'm actually not that strong as the temple oracles here."_

_"It doesn't matter," Summer continued to gush. "That really was awesome! I don't know if I can do that to something agressive."_

_Ben recalled one of the times Kate visited the Academy to check on her little brother in school. Ben and many other aspiring Rangers tended to ask how she could catch a raging Rampardos in one sweep while they took more than twenty loops to capture a Tailllow._

_"It's not that hard, really," the Ranger said, repeating Kate's words. "You really need to be gentle with the Pokemon."_

_"Really?!"_

_Ravio seemed to understand Ben's words and helped Summer._

_"Pokemon have become scared of humans," he continued. "They've progressed so far, and sometimes they need reassurance to trust you."_

_"If you can gain their trust," Ben answered back. "They will not only trust you for just one task, but a million times more."_

* * *

><p><em>The rescued Temple Oracle was immediately taken to the tents for medical attention. The rest of the team stayed outside of the tent, until both Tanvir and the oracle emerged from the tent. Everyone who knew the new arrival crowded around him , asking questions like "Hey, are you all right?" or "What happened to you?"<em>

_The startled temple oracle sputtered at all the attention he received, before exclaiming. "W-Why are you all gathered?"_

_"We'll explain later," Kira urged him to take a seat. "You've just been saved by the whole lot of us."_

_The temple oracle stared at them in disbelief. He noticed that Ben and Summer were dressed differently, but he was too tired to question who they were. Instead, he smiled at the entire team._

_"I don't really understand," he said. "but thank you for saving me!"_

_"I'd like to ask you one thing before you explain what's going on," Ravio cut through. "Is there anything different about the Fire Captain, Flegos?"_

_"Ravio," the man smiled. "You sure look all grown up, with all that armor. But... I don't think so. Fiegos was being a passionate guy as usual." [2]_

_Tanvir stroked his beard in thought. "I see... All the captains and the temple oracles want is to protect the temples. Their minds are as clear as_

_spring water."_

_"How about my dad?" That was all Ravio could think of._

_"The same, of course," Kira said. "If Ellios is planning anything evil, it's only because someone is confusing him. That's the only way I can explain all this."_

_"I agree," Dasios gave a weak smile. "Ellios is always concerned about us, and Ravio, and all the others from the bottom of his heart."_

_"Still..." Ravio frowned. "These horrible things are happeningas we speak. We should act instead of talking."_

_Ben and Summer had not spoken a word throughout the entire discussion, not that they had any reason to. The Rangers were only there to help and the leave. Ben worried that the oracles would forget that they were here at all. The rest of the talk ended in just an agreement to progress to the next level of the Fire Temple within the next two days. Tanvir apparently wanted to clear the temple already to get on with the next one._

_"We don't know what this person is planning to do," he explained. "Now we need to watch not only the temples but their surroundings, too."_

_"But Tanvir," Dasios shook his head. "Most of these oracles we have with use are not well..."_

_"Then I'll check on Teakwood Forest," the large man shot back decisively._

_"That's a good idea," Kira nodded. "We'll keep an eye out around here, but please come back soon."_

_"Tanvir," Ravio smiled. "Good luck!"_

_The child's laughter brought a smile upon the man's face as he tousled the little junior's hair._

_"I'll be okay," he reassured them. "I'll be back before tomorrow's dawn."_

_Everyone watched as Tanvir retreated into the woods, before briskly returning back into their tents. Ben and Summer followed as well, but Summer then faltered to her knees on the way to the Temple. Both Ben and Ravio stopped in their tracks and gathered around the ranger to help her up. Kira and some of the other oracles noticed the scene behind them and hurried over as well._

_"Are you okay?"_

_"What's wrong?"_

_"You must be tired."_

_Summer said she felt all right, but as soon as she was on her feet, her knees began to shake again. the girl stared at the ground, confused. _

_"That's weird..." She muttered under her breath. "Why are my legs..."_

_The girl was leaning more onto Ben, and he could feel her weight pressing on his arms, her muscles relaxing more and more. Come to think of it, just watching Summer made him even more tired, and he could feel his sore legs aching. Ravio and the others studied the two Rangers until they were alarmed by a green glow of light above them._

_The new arrival was unmistakably Celebi, and the little green Pokemon hovered around Ben and Summer, it's large eyes narrowed in anxiety. Ravio read the expression on the little time traveler's face, and he recognized the symptoms._

_"It's time for you guys to go."_

_Ben looked up at Ravio's decisive face, and he nodded weakly. So this is what Kate had mentioned about making it on time. He could only conclude that he and his partner were being put down by the effects of the displacement in time._

_"We're almost done with the Fire Temple," Ravio gave a single gesture for Celebi to hurry. "I'm sorry we had you come here on such a short notice... But thank you."_

_"No harm done," Ben strained politely. "If you need us again, you can call us again. If Kate finishes recovering, we'll all go together."_

_"Yeah," Summer added. "Ravio, you better kick those bad guys' asses by the time we're back. Good luck on your training!"_

_Ravio gave a stern nod, but his elated eyes could hide nothing. The adults were dead silent, awed by the sudden spur of friendship between the three of them. Celebi sang its fateful song before the Rangers disappeared in a flash._

* * *

><p>The two returning Rangers fell flat on the grassy patch in the middle of the ruins ways away from Renbow Village. Tangled in a mess of limbs, Ben struggled to get up first before helping Summer get up. The feeling of aching legs was long gone, and Summer seemed just as springy. Even though she looked fine, it didn't hurt him to ask.<p>

"You feel better now?" He asked.

"Yeah, I can walk again," Summer did a few leaps into the air to prove it. The Ranger stopped jumping and looked at where they have returned. Evening had arrived to Renbow Island, and the lights of the village nearby had just gone up.

"So we have a time limit whenever we go back," she said with discomfort. "I guess it's like one of those sci-fi things like you can't change the past by mixing it up or something."

"I guess so," Ben gave a small nod, but he jolted when a little ball of yellow fur pounced into his arms. The Ranger laughed as Koa squeaked in excitement that its partner came back. The telltale sound of wings flapping also meant that Summer's Staraptor wasn't too far away either.

"Missed me, didn't you, Koa?" Ben scratched the Pichu behind the ears and the little mouse chattered away. He looked up at the sky again. For the morning he had left to the ruins for the mission, it was now early evening. The sun was still quite alive enough for a walk back to Basil's place without getting lost.

The entire house was quiet for the most part. The Pokemon must be sleeping, and Basil must be off somewhere for something, probably checking on the Pinchers in Renbow Village. Kate and Keith were nowhere to be seen. In fact, the first thing they came across was Murph in the living room, with Blue Eyes curled up on the couch across from him. The chairman was reading some magazine that Ice left about in on the table that morning, while his companion was curled up in a blanket as far away as possible from him, eyes warily flashing between Ben and Murph. Ben had been aware the two of them were unusually around each other, but he thought it was best not to question why or how this even came about.

The shuffling of feet caught Murph's attention as he looked up from his magazine. He seemed rather pleased with himself for some reason, now that Ben could see his face.

"You're back," the chairman smiled warmly. "Did you make it on time?"

"Yes," Ben nodded. "I… I think I understand what's going on, just a bit."

Honestly, this was all going too fast: traveling back in time, some entirely different thing to deal with, and more exhausting missions. He didn't want to ask why all the responsibility was dumped on him, but he was mostly too tired to demand an explanation.

"Oh, that's good, Ben," Murph smiled. "According to Basil's reports, Celebi is going to be appearing every other day. You should use the spare day to prepare yourself and patrol for a bit."

Ben gave a stiff nod. Summer, even more tired than he was, gave a low murmur to excuse herself from the room and immediately head off to bed. Ben was tempted to follow her back, but he had other things to do. A lot of questions weighed down his mind, and he'd rather have them answered than wait a whole sleepless night.

* * *

><p>"Hm. That was a good move."<p>

Kate stared indifferently at a plain checkerboard with their little pieces sprawled across the wood. She looked up at Keith, who was observing her every move closely. Honestly, she thought to herself, this man should be out there patrolling, but he refused to leave her side like some lost puppy who finally found his owner. Keith had not walked out of the ward for a whole day, except when he decided to amuse both of them with a hundred games of checkers or chess.

"There."

She moved a checker piece across one of Keith's, and removed them from the board. This way he couldn't eliminate any more of her pieces. Keith had seen it and now was left to his own thinking session. So far the wins were equal, but Kate was the favorite in this match. Between them, she was the indomitable champion in checkers, but that didn't mean that Keith didn't try to beat her. He continued to pause and stare at the checkers game when Ben walked into the room, catching both of the adult's attention.

"Ah, Ben!" A happy Keith was still unsettling to Ben, if the expression on his face meant anything.

The boy shifted uncomfortably at the foot of the door, eyes shifting to places other the adults themselves.

"I'd like to ask something, Kate," he said slowly. "I know that this is something I'll eventually figure out, but... Why did you to back to the past...? You never told us why you're so interested about the past."

For once, the woman smiled in response and she motioned to an empty seat by the bed.

"All three of us are here, so maybe this will be easier."

Ben hesitantly slipped into the room and sat beside opposite to his teacher, who was holding hands with Kate. They must have made up very quickly. Basil had once said that the two of them were such an honest couple.

"Ben," Kate began. "I'm sorry to bring this up again, but you remember the failed evacuation mission at your school?"

Ben could see Keith's flinching at the mention of the day. As much as he was forgiven, his teacher could never miss any moment to kick himself for failing. Ben couldn't find that time too great, either, but he had come out of it mostly unscathed. He was so young back then, and he barely remembered his entire experience back at that laboratory.

"Yes, I remember."

"You see," Kate continued. "I was looking more into it in these three years, testing what I can do with this... 'Black Water'. The research had led me here, and it talks about a legend."

"A legend?" Ben inquired, and Kate nodded affirmatively.

"Yes, a legend. I may be off base, but it had something to do with gaining some sort of power, just like us. We may have gained our new abilities by Black Water, but the legend here says there's something you can wear to have the same effect."

"Something you can wear?" Keith stitched it together. He had heard Kate's explanation a long while ago, but he didn't quite understand the last part. He thought a little harder.

"Like armor?" He suggested.

"Exactly," Kate nodded. "I don't have full details, but I think that this armor has something to do with the Shadow Crystals back home in Almia. The islands here aren't too far off from the mainland than we think. You can't ignore the possibility that trade between these two regions could have happened far in the past.

"Also, this is very old technology we're dealing with here. That goes for that special armor I was looking into. We won't be able to find this armor in present day as easily as we would back then."

"So," Ben began. "You want me to look into this case about some sort of special armor that looks like it gives people Black Water abilities?"

"More or less," Kate smiled. "You're a bright kid. It's nice to see that you've got it all figured out."

Ben was in turn rather pleased with himself when he left the room, feeling a bit more confident about himself. But he agreed with Kate's eagerness to find more about this armor. He hadn't thought much about his abilities gained from Black Water until now. The process of achieving these qualities was excruciatingly painful, but the physical level of a super soldier was quite useful for him. He did have to control his strength, but even that wasn't a problem, which made all things stranger to him. Were there any consequences to having the ability to lift a building? Was he going to die young? Ben could tell that Kate probably felt that way as well about these Black Water abilities. Lost in thought, he returned to his room where Koa and Summer were waiting.

* * *

><p><em>Dawn returned to the village outside the temples, and Ravio woke up from his place on a little stool. He had tried to wait for Tanvir to come back, but the man never came back. Kira was worried as well, but she urged the child to go to sleep. Of course, Ravio had adamantly refused, and he was now with a horrible crick in his neck. His mind still preyed on what happened to Tanvir. He was taking way too long to survey a forest. At this point, Ravio had the notion that something must have happened.<em>

_His hopes lifted when he saw a hulking figure ascending from a hill past the village gates. The arrival heaved from running so hard for so long, and his hot breath made clouds in the cold forest air. Ravio, not caring who the man could be, ran forward to greet him, but his footsteps halted when the man finally stumbled forward and dropped dead on the ground._

_Excitement quickly became panic as the young boy slid down beside the fallen man and rolled him over. Much to Ravio's horror, the injured man was Tanvir. His chest was riddled with lashes and spots, and his eye sported a black bruise. It was scary to believe that this could happen to the strong warrior of a man._

_Ravio's cries caught the attention of everyone else in the village. Kira was in near years when she found Tanvir at the gates of the village. Celebi, who had sensed danger, was now cooing mournfully at Tanvir's face._

_Ravio, however, would not let up on his efforts to see his friend alive. He shook the man furiously and pounded onto his chest, his own fists coated with drying blood._

_"Tanvir!" Ravio cried. "Wake up, Tanvir!"_

_Soon, Thane and Kira were pulling the boy aside as a shaman came to their aid. Ravio thrashed and kicked against the forces that held him back, until Kira had no choice but to slap him across the face._

_"Ravio, calm down," she reassured. "He's breathing. He'll be okay."_

_Ravio could hear a happy song following those words. Of course he was relieved that Tanvir was not dead, but he was afraid now. Afraid of the dangerous world beyond him, and of his own father._

* * *

><p><em>NOTES:<em>

_[1] I shall now present headcanon. There isn't any basic info I can find on the all the temple oracles, but I assume Dasios is the youngest, thus he is the weakest and the first temple you beat. He's a prodigy, since all the other head oracles are at least ten years older than him. He also is a kind person, and to exaggerate, he is a rather quiet person. He gets picked on by the head temple oracles from the Fire Temple and the Thunder Temple. He appreciates the motherly qualities of the head of the Ice Temple._

_[2] Fiegos comes off as a hot headed type of character, but isn't really much older than Dasios, a prodigy himself, but he's burned his hair white so people mistaken him for an old man. He used to be the youngest of the temple oracles before Dasios arrived._

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** _Finally a new chapter! I really want to finish writing this before summer so I guess we should expect a higher frequency of chapters._


	19. The Stricken

**Tracks of Light**

**Chapter 19 - The Stricken**

* * *

><p><em>The next time Ben and Summer return, they are met with a drastic change in atmosphere. Luxio and Pidgeotto were eager to see familiar faces, but everyone else was not as happy. Ravio was present to welcome them back, but some reason, everything about him lacked the enthusiasm he once had the last time they met. Ben was sure that the younger boy was nervous about facing the head temple oracle, but he didn't think Ravio could be so put down by a challenge.<em>

_Summer caught on to this first and asked, "Ravio, what's wrong?"_

_"It's about Tanvir," the armored boy spoke. "He's been hurt."_

_Summer and Ben were alarmed by the news. That man was so strong, like Barlow from back in Almia, so how could he get injured on accident or by ambush? They followed Ravio to the tents where Kira was waiting beside her friend's bedside. Tanvir had not woken up since he had been found bleeding at the front gates, the woman said. Surprisingly, not much damage was done to the man, but his chest had to be heavily bandaged. Summer had to wince when the healer came to change the bandages, and Ben said nothing._

_"Tanvir never came back," Kira explained when the Rangers asked. "So Ravio and I decided to check on him. But then he came back looking like this."_

_Ben observed Ravio, who clenched his fists hard in frustration, so much that Ben expected the boy to draw blood._

_"It must be..." He muttered darkly. "My dad who did this to Tanvir..."_

_Summer reassured him. "Ravio... You shouldn't jump to conclusions like that."_

_The boy shook of the girl's kind gesture and stalked out of the rent, his armor clanking woefully as he went. Ben and Summer stared at the empty entrance and then turned their attention to their fallen friend._

_"Either way," Summer said quietly, looking at the unconscious man. "Poor Tanvir..."_

_Ben looked at Kira, who herself seemed to be unable to control herself._

_"It's hard to watch them," She lamented. "To make Ravio feel so insecure… and he's just a boy."_

_"To be fair," Summer said. "He's coping with this far better than any of us could."_

_Ben could agree. He himself wouldn't be too sure what he would have done if Keith suddenly went out of line and got the entire Union to go against him. Although…_

_"Anyways," Summer piped. "Today's the day we tackle that Fire Temple once and for all, right?"_

_"You are correct," Kira said hesitantly. "But we haven't organized a party to go in. It might take a few hours, which might exhaust your time limit here."_

_"Then we'll go ourselves," Ben answered. Kira gawked at him as if he had grown two heads._

_"That's impossible," she said. "You can't just take on an entire floor by yourself, expecting to catch the required Pokemon within the time limit. The temples were designed specifically to be done in groups, not a single person."_

_"I didn't say I was going along," Ben said. "Summer will be with me."_

_"Y-yeah!" The girl tried to back him up, but she wasn't sure why he would suggest the two of them only."_

_"That's still not enough," the woman stood up and began walking out of the tent. "You'll have to wait or do something else around here instead of taking on Fiegos. The Head Oracle of the Fire Temple is dangerous, more hostile than the Dasios. I can't let you kids go on by yourselves."_

_Ben didn't say anything else when Kira was gone, and Summer stared at him in question._

_"Why did you suggest that?" she asked. She knew what Ben was implying, and if she thought better, Ben really could clear the Temple, given his better abilities._

_"Because I felt I could help that way," Ben said. "I don't think we've been doing much good, being here."_

_"Well, it's our second or third time here," Summer shrugged. "It'll take a while before we start doing anything useful here. Are you just trying to prove yourselves to them?"_

_"Well, yes," Ben answered honestly. "I do want this to go along much faster."_

_"Uh… fine. We can rope Ravio into this, too, if he agrees. I don't feel confident about going there by myself, with you."_

_"He'll say yes. Ravio will be driven by his emotions at this point. He'll probably want to join us to blow off some steam."_

* * *

><p><em>It was worth it, just the three of them going in. Without so many people, Ben was able to let loose and run as fast as he possibly could. Ravio and Summer went their separate ways, and it wasn't long before they returned to the final portal. They did meet a few difficulties, such as trying to distract the Tyranitar long enough to capture him, until Ben thought it would be a good idea to punch the possessed Fire Temple head oracle in the head.<em>

_Surprisingly, the Tyranitar didn't go berserk, and actually sat down tamely to let itself be captured. Summer was then hugging Ben in desperation, happy that she didn't have to dodge another Hyper Beam. Ravio was very satisfied by the round trip, and he even got the finishing blow to the Tyranitar._

_Now, the only problem was carrying the unconscious Temple Oracle back out of the temple. Ben could carry the man, but only for so long. Summer and Ravio had gone ahead, and he was now staggering under the weight. By the time he was outside, he was met with stern faces from the adults of the party. Summer and Ravio looked less festive than before, and Kira was not even close to happy._

_"You didn't heed my warning," Kira said._

_"But we did it anyways." Ben answered promptly. "And?"_

_Kira didn't answer, but she was visibly disappointed in them._

_"You're lucky." She turned around. "Those two already gave me apologies. That would be enough, but please don't go off on your own."_

_She looked at a group of temple oracles. "Help Fiegos, unless you want to carry him yourself, Ben."_

_"It's fine," Ben said, hefting the still unconscious head temple oracle. "I'll accept this as punishment."_

_"Good," Kira said, and she led the way to the medical tents. Summer and Ravio trailed behind him, heads bowed, but the three of them still felt accomplished, that they had cleared the temple themselves. Ben noticed that the tent they were heading for was not the same as the one Tanvir was held._

_"How's Tanvir," he asked, hoping that Kira would change her mind a bit._

_"The temple oracles are looking for the one who hurt Tanvir now," she said. "While you three were pandering over there, we found footprints going from Teakwood Forest all the way to the temples. When you three went missing, I was afraid they actually took you three."_

_"Oh," Ravio looked away. "Sorry."_

_"However," she added. "The ground around the temples is too firm, and no footprints were left there. It's still good evidence that whoever attacked Tanvir came from one of the temples."_

_Ben listened carefully to the rest of their findings as he took off Fiegos's armor with great difficulty. When he finally got most of it off, he felt a small twinge in his legs again when he finally set Fiegos on the bed. He looked at his hands and felt as if needles had been piercing it. The Ranger looked back at the armor he had taken off, and he was sure something was dreadfully wrong with it._

_"Ben!"_

_Summer's voice got to him, and he looked at her._

_"Yeah?"_

_"It's time to go." She reminded him. He looked over her shoulder and saw Celebi hovering not too far away. Ben was happy to escape the oppressing air in the tent to return home, and he bounded after her, not before giving an appreciative pat on Luxio's head._

_"I have one more thing to ask of you," Ravio caught him at the entrance. "Miss Katrina... How is she?"_

_"She's..." Ben said uneasily. "She's still in bed. She needs time to be able to walk again."_

_"I see," the young boy nodded. "I hope for her fast recovery. If she is well, will she come back? I think we can clear the temples faster if she was here."_

_"Yes," Ben said. "I'll ask if she can."_

_"Thank you, Ben!" The boy jumped with restored excitement, and Ben gave him a small wave as he rejoined Summer under Celebi's light._

_"I hope Tanvir feels better soon!" Summer shouted to Ravio before they disappeared._

* * *

><p><em>The next time they came back, Ravio was back to his usual exuberance. He excited talked about how for the past two weeks, they had gone through at most three levels in the Ice Temple. He led them to the medical tent and showed them one of the temple oracles who had just woken up from rescue.<em>

_"I had a good sleep," the woman sighed, but was surprised by the fact that she was in a tent. "Hmm? Was I taking a nap?"_

_Kira was sitting by the oracle, still concerned and disappointed by the lack of information._

_"I guess you don't remember anything."_

_They went down to explaining what was going on, and Ben was amused by the growing look of horror on the oracle's face._

_"Wh-Why would I challenge anyone?" She gasped, and looked at the Rangers and Ravio. "Especially children! You're kidding...Wait! I just remembered something!"_

_Kira's eyes brightened and she came closer._

_"Tell me everything you know."_

_"Uh, I was with my Feraligatr, and..." The woman in the bed tried to sort through her memory of past events, but her face couldn't get any paler. "How could I do such a thing...? I'm so sorry!"_

_The poor woman had to be soothed by nurses and Kira herself, until they heard a guttural caw from behind the medical tent. The woman looked around past Ben and Summer's shoulders, and her face beamed. The Rangers turned round and saw an Empoleon towering over the entrance. Ravio was busy keeping it calm by patting its wings._

_"This Empoleon followed us all the way here, worried about you the entire time." Kira explained._

_The Empoleon began stepping into the tent, bowing its head courteously as to not pull the entire structure down with it, and was standing before the patient's bed. The oracle was half fearful, and half touched that the Pokemon was in such close proximity with her._

_"Uwww..." The large bird growled, and oracle began to back up against the far end of her bed._

_"What's with this Empoleon?" Summer exchanged glances with Ben. He didn't see anything hostile with the bird, except that it was growling._

_The Empoleon hacked and coughed and hunched over the bed, scaring everyone in the tent, but soon after, the large bird stood up proudly at its catch. The temple oracle peered down at the end of the table and saw a branch of berries, covered in saliva, but still well preserved. Ben had seen these berries growing in dozens outside Renbow Plaza back in the present. Booker had once mentioned them as some sort of plant that had healing properties for Pokemon._

_"...Empoleon!" The woman forgot about her injuries and jumped across the bed to hug the Pokemon, which crooned happily in response. Kira smiled and watched the reunion, Soon the Empoleon was quietly escorted out, and the temple oracle was left by herself to heal. At least she was happier than the minutes before._

_"I had no idea..." She said to Kira. "I don't remember clearly, but I think I treated my Empoleon so badly... Despite that, it still cares about me..."_

_Before Ben and Summer could leave, the temple oracle caught them for another word._

_"I'd like to support you!" she said with a grin. "I'll go back and try to calm as many Pokémon as possible with my Empoleon! Once I get better, that is."_

_"Don't push yourself too hard," Ravio smiled at his senior temple oracle, and they left the tents in preparation for the next wave of invasion._

_"That was wonderful," Ravio mused as they were handing out slates to the other temple oracles for the next few hours._

_"What's wrong?" Ben asked, seeing as Ravio was usually quiet during these hours._

_"Empoleon and the temple oracle are bonded so strongly," the boy said. "It moved me so much. It looked to me like the bond between them was more than just the armor's power."_

_A warm glow appeared behind them, and the two boys turned around to see an enthusiastic Celebi as it circled around Ravio's head._

_"Bi! Bi! Bi!"_

_The two boys laughed at the green Pokemon's happy dance._

_"You don't have to wish for that," Ben told him. "Celebi feels that bond with you, Ravio. I think that's what Celebi said."_

_Ravio beamed at the older boy's advice. "Of course! Celebi is my friend!"_

_The armored boy settled on a pile of logs, but he was bouncing like a happy child._

_"I want to be like you, Ben," he said. "And Miss Katrina, and Summer, too. A brave and smart Pokémon Ranger who understands Pokémon's feelings!"_

_"Why do you want to be?" Ben smiled encouragingly. "You already are."_

_The boy felt touched by these words, and wanted to say more, hoping to hear more from his seniors, when Summer came in with Pidgeotto following loyally behind her._

_"It's time to go!" She grinned. "You guys all ready? It's the last level to clear the Ice Temple!" [2]_

* * *

><p><em>"Ahhh..."<em>

_"Hang in there, Ravio! Don't you go dying on us now!"_

_Ravio's vision was a complete blur, as he was resting in someone's lap while the sounds of people yelling and the magic zooming still rung in his ears. He shifted in position, but a stinging pain in his arms got to him._

_"Don't move too much," Kira's voice called to him. So he made it out of the temple, did he? He opened his bleary eyes to the bright white of the medical tent, and he shot up out of his bed, wincing at the pain in his arm._

_"Ravio, I didn't tell you to move," the woman gently pushed him back into bed, and he looked around. There medical tent seemed more occupied from here, as he recognized some of the wounded as some of the people who were in the party to the last level of the Ice Temple._

_"Is the child okay?'" Dasios stepped to the other side of the bed, and took a closer look at him. "Are you all right?"_

_"Yeah..." Ravio could only speak in short sentences. "What happened...?"_

_"You made it out, all of you," Kira explained. "But you and several others got hurt. Summer and Ben were both carrying you out of there. They're not here now, since their time ran out, but they know you're in the medical tent getting better."_

_"Oh..." the boy muttered. "I should thank them... for that..."_

_"We got too complacent about this," Dasios said. "Our past victories may have been easy, but this is the Ice Temple we're talking about. Pagos is a difficult man to defeat in battle, remember?"_

_"Yes," Kira said sternly. "Our next temple is Brotos's temple, the Lightning Temple. It's much more difficult to navigate than the past three, so we must be careful next time."_

_"It would be much more convenient if the two head oracles we had besides me were up," Dasios said, looking crestfallen. "Fiegos and Pagos had to be knocked out to defeat their Pokemon. We could triple the force if they were up. We can't take risks without them."_

_"I'll be careful," Ravio said confidently, but Kira shook her head._

_"You'll have to rest for a bit before you go back into those temples. That Frosslass you went up against apparently tried to freeze your arm off clean."_

_"You're still alive, aren't you?" A familiar voice greeted them. Kira and Dasios turned around and saw the dark muscular man, a little battered, but very well healed._

_"Tanvir! You're awake!" Ravio beamed._

_"Sure am," the large man gave a sheepish grin. "So I heard Ravio got himself in the medical tent. Care to share?"_

_"Frosslass, Ice beam," was Kira's reply._

_"Sounds nasty," Tanvir looked at the bundle of bandages around Ravio's arm. "What about those other two kids? Ben and Summer?"_

_"They've left already with Celebi," Dasios answered. "They wanted to stay, but became too weak to move afterwards because of the time displacement. They have been trying to see how much more they can endure without collapsing like that."_

_"They did leave something good for us," Kira smiled. "Miss Katrina should be better by now. If she comes back, we'll keep the same pace."_

_"Miss Katrina's coming back!?" Ravio was excited. "I really want to get better now!"_

_"That's good," Tanvir said. "We'll be there at full force!"_

* * *

><p>It had been a week, and Kate was getting back to walking again. She could only do so much as hobble under her bandages, as her wounds were healing fast, but still slower than usual. She guessed that she spent more energy trying to survive getting impaled than healing the rest of her wounds. Hopefully, they'll be gone in a few days, in fact, hours.<p>

Lost in thought, she tripped on her own two feet, and she voiced a yelp she could never make under normal circumstances. Fortunately, a pair of strong arms grabbed her by the waist and set her back up again.

In response, Kate flinched at the touch, and nearly fell down anyways. The ex-Ranger was aware that Keith was right behind here, but she was getting used to human contact. Ever since the day she jumped out the window of her apartment, she barely so much as shook hands with anyone, unless she had to. Five years working for families in Orre taught her to never trust anyone and never be fooled by anyone.

"I don't see why you want to get moving so soon," Keith sighed exasperatedly. "Basil and Dr. Edward said you should stay in bed."

"I know" was her curt reply.

Keith was right, in some ways. They still had ample amounts of time, but Kate didn't want to wait. She was already driven insane by the hundred chess matches against the redhead (most of which she lost), and she could only think about the possible load of work she had to do once she got better.

At this resolve, her leg movements became more fluid and better, and she was now striding across the hallway. Keith didn't catch on to her suddenly burst of energy and stumbled after her.

Kate descended down the stairs, careful to not skip any steps. Her healing factor was kicking in fast, and she decided she could get rid of these bandages soon.

"Where are we going?" Keith asked her.

"To get back in shape," she said, swinging around to the hallway under the stairs. "It's been a week, so I need to stay in condition."

"We could have just gone outside."

"Basil didn't show you all the rooms, did he?"

"Now that you're here, no, he didn't."

"Good. You'll know now."

Kate went down an unfamiliar corridor, and she took the only door that was there. Keith peered over the woman's shoulder, wondering what could be behind it. His face was struck with a draft of cold air, and he stepped into a small room.

At first, Keith thought it was a greenhouse, with all the plants against one of the walls. The floor was covered in foam mats, well used and quite worn. He closed the door behind him and followed Kate into the center of the room. He stopped when she turned around and sat down on a nearby bench. The woman began rolling up her pants and peeling off some of the bandages. She looked further and saw no harm done to her body now. Keith knew exactly what she was doing and began stretching.

"Sparring, seriously?" He asked. "When you just got out of the hospital?"

"We haven't done anything together for a while, don't you think?" Kate smiled. "Besides, I was getting tired of those chess games."

Keith scoffed, since he actually liked those days. "You sure you're okay?"

"You need exercise, too." Kate raised an eyebrow as she walked over. "You look like you've gotten lazy without me."

"I'll be happy to show you otherwise." Keith swung his arms to loosen them up. "I'm all set to go, whenever you are."

"Okay."

Without warning, the woman went for a quick shot at his gut, and he was blown back three feet. He choked a bit, kneeling over, and Kate, being kind, set her foot down for the next strike.

"Lazy." Kate's voice is close to sneering. She could hear him laugh as he got up.

"I don't think so."

He lunged forward like a cat, and Kate, hoping that he wasn't trying to be desperate, sidestepped him and elbowed him in the back. He was falling over, and he expertly rolled around, targeting her legs. His opponent gasped and joined him on the floor, and soon it became a very interesting wrestling along the mats, and more running about the room. The seriousness of the fighting became more of a play, like young kittens.

"Damn," he said. "For once, I thought you'd be a little more tired about this."

It was a whole hour later. They were holding their hands at each other's throats, panting heavily, brown meeting blue. Kate's hand didn't move, and neither did Keith. They stayed at this position for a moment, counting for the next move. And Kate quickly backed away and swept Keith's feet, and he slammed into the ground with the wind knocked out of his lungs. She was about to strike when Keith sprung back up too quickly and was now reversed the order. She was now on her back, and Keith was holding a hand at her neck, smiling in response.

"I win." He grinned. Kate didn't change her expression, and then she smirked back as she had already touched Keith's neck with her own hands, as if she had meant to chop it cleanly off.

"I already won before you even tried. I would have broken your neck by now."

"Good one, but not after this," Keith smiled and got up, and held out a hand to her. She took it without any doubt, but was alarmed when he grabbed her back and pulled her into a tight hug. It was a warm feeling, and Kate responded by stepping closer to him.

"What's this for?" she asked.

"You never had a hug in five years," Keith said curtly, resting his chin on her shoulder. "Not from me."

"No, never had time for those," Kate answered with little emotion.

"You changed a bit, huh, Kate," Keith let her go a few inches away, so he could look at her face.

"You don't really care about that, apparently," the woman shot back.

"Nope, not at all," he smiled, and he stole a quick kiss from her, much to her dismay, but Kate made no move to make him stop from trying again or going even further than that.

"What are you planning?"

"Nothing," Keith said, keeping his hands around her. "Just making you pay back for those five years we weren't together."

"You really don't think I didn't see that," Kate said, her fingers drumming under his elbows. "You're showering me with more affection than you usually would."

"I…" Keith didn't say anything more.

"I know that you need me, and that I need you," Kate said carefully. "But, that doesn't necessarily mean I will go back to Almia with you when this is all over."

Keith looked down to her. She didn't smile, nor was she frowning, which made it harder for him to interpret what she meant.

"Why not?"

"You see what's happening?" Kate glanced pointedly to the window. "I won't be able to keep what I have built here. I'm still trying to figure out what's going on here and over at Orre, and you know what will happen if I go back to the Union."

"I highly doubt it," Keith countered. "If this causes you problems, I'll just authorize it as a single case, and we'll work on it together. You're a Top Ranger, and so am I, remember?"

The woman wanted to reason, but she had nothing to say. "You make this sound so easy."

"And you make this more complicated," Keith smirked, and he bent down for another kiss when he heard the doors open from the floor above. Kate was alert to the same sounds as he, and they stared at the ceiling.

"We're back!" Summer's voice chimed from the hallways. "We've cleared the Ice Temple!"

"That was faster than I thought," Kate muttered, but Keith could tell that she was very pleased with the latest results.

* * *

><p>NOTES:<p>

[1] I am getting really lazy with action scenes. I'm sorry. This part of the game was very exhausting to clear.

[2] Blitzing through the plot~


	20. Full Capacity

**Tracks of Light**

**Chapter 20 - Full Capacity**

* * *

><p>Keith woke up finding Kate already gone from the bed. He couldn't really remember what he did before he fell asleep, but he was sure he was fully clothed, so thank goodness.<p>

He was beginning to think she was already on her mysterious outings, probably doing something in that little "Batcave" of hers. The Ranger threw the covers off himself to go get changed into his Ranger uniform. He was already tired the moment he stepped out of bed and was close to tripping over a fallen pillow. Way to start the morning.

The redhead took the usual passage and arrived at the door with the chemical caution sign. He opened the door, and felt the cold hit his face and arms, and he shuddered as he walked down the cantilevered steps. He met the eyes of his Buizel. It leapt onto his shoulder licking his face and he put it down on the floor to let it rejoin its friends. Poor thing hadn't seen them for so long.

He saw Kate busily staring at the massive computer screen, opening multiple windows and scanning through all of them. The last time he ever saw the woman look so focused was when she was flipping through several books back in the Academy, or the time she had helped him piece the case of Dim Sun's experiments together.

He slowly made his way over to her place, coming right behind her chair. He was sure she could sense his presence and silently acknowledged through a small pause in her routine typing. Still, the woman jolted when he placed his hands on her shoulders. She mistyped something, and then stopped entirely, looking up at the smiling man.

"Nice to see you're awake," She mumbled, and she was answered by a soft laugh. "Now get off. I have work. I'm actually busy today."

"I'm sure you want massages," He dug harder into her shoulders, and she gasped, earning a smirk on his part. "See? You like it."

"No, really," Kate reached up and brushed off his hands from her. Promptly she her hands returned to the keyboard and undid the typing error. Keith found that watching her work was fruitless, and noticed a stray tray of two coffee mugs lying on a heating plate. One was empty, and other was full, still warm from the heat. Maybe he should get one…

"Basil brought those in an hour ago," Kate said, seemingly reading his mind without taking her eyes off the screen. "He expected you to come here first thing, so he made an 'extra.' I kept it warm, just in case you overslept."

"How nice," Keith took the mug and took a small sip from it. "This is pretty rich. How do you afford stuff like this?"

"Basil owns Davies Tech, one of the most successful rising companies in the world," Kate opened up another window and closed another, rapidly typing. "Honestly, your cognitive abilities must have declined last time I met you."

Keith nearly choked on the coffee, and gargled and sputtered at her subtle insult. He could see her amused smirk as he slammed the cup on the table, and clutched his chest to catch his breath. He wasn't really irritated that she was glad he nearly died, but back to general business.

"Where are the kids?" Keith asked, already finishing his cup. Kate paused briefly before typing.

"Ben and Summer must have gone ahead," She answered. "They're taking those time missions pretty seriously, especially Ben. They were able to give Leanne a lot of information on the past."

"Well, that's just like Ben," Keith said. "I'm a bit proud that he has works hard."

"More like very proud," Kate stood up from her chair, and shut the screen down. Keith glanced at the screen at the numerous closing windows, and absorbing the small bits of information.

"What's with those business dealings?" He asked, and Kate had little reaction.

"Basil's not the only one who runs Davies Tech," She walked his way. "There's a reason why he called it Davies Tech."

Kate went over to pick up the tray of empty mugs, but she looked back at Keith when he made some sort of strangled whimper. Seriously, the man looked like a tamed Houndoom with its ears pulled back.

"What do you need?" She asked in the calmest way possible. Keith said nothing as he leaned forward and briefly gave her a small peck on the lips, smiling afterwards. Kate frowned, her cheeks slightly red. In embarrassment, she grabbed the dark long jacket.

"Did you remember the 'just for today' rule, Mr. Grumpy?" She teased as she departed the cavern to send the used dinnerware to the kitchen. Keith found this strange, since she usually waited for Basil to come by and pick up the mugs. No less, she didn't just go to drop off empty cups with a jacket in her hand.

"Where are you going?" He called to her.

"To where Ben is." Came a distant reply.

* * *

><p>Ben and Summer sat about the fallen pillars in the ruins near Cocona Village. Celebi was supposed to show up around noon, which was odd, since it wasn't the usual early morning. But if that's what Kate and Basil predicted, they'd have to go with what those two planned out.<p>

"Celebi's not here, yet?"

Ben's head whipped around to Kate who was walking through the gravel towards them. He had seen her yesterday, and she was walking perfectly fine. Basil had allowed her to walk around the house more often, and for the past few days, Ben would see her moving things about.

"Kate!" Summer exclaimed. "You're coming back with us?"

"You said that they asked me to come back, didn't they?" Kate smiled. "This should be good."

"Yeah..." Ben nodded absently. He was beginning to get even more nervous about Celebi's lateness, and he settled down on the pillars again. Koa sensed his partner's uneasiness and began bouncing on his shoulder, hoping to get Ben's attention. Needless to say, the Ranger petted the mouse behind the ears, and everything was calmer.

They were alerted by a small ring, and all three of them got up to approach the passage of time. They arrived at the gates of Cocona Plaza, close to nighttime. Kate heard an alarmed cry from the tents and met the faces of some of the temple oracles.

* * *

><p><em>Kira was on full on panic now. She had been sure that Ravio had been in bed in the medical tent hours ago, so how could the child be missing, when everyone was gathered there? Her fears did not subside when Celebi returned with the three time travelers, and she rushed outside.<em>

_"Celebi!" She asked, her tone furious. "Where is Ravio?"_

_"The boy is missing?"_

_Kira realized that not only Ben and Summer came back, but Miss Katrina was also back. This was very good news, but only if they could find Ravio..._

_"Kira!"_

_A temple oracle in flaming red robes came her way, with something in his hand. Ben remembered him a while ago... Fiegos, was it?_

_"Hey, Kira," the oracle handed the object to her. "We found this near the gates of Teakwood Forest."_

_"It can't be..." Kira gasped. "It's a part of Ravio's clothes."_

_"Ravio's missing?" Summer frowned. "Then we should look for him, right?"_

_"No," Kate chided the younger Ranger. "Our job here is to finish clearing the temple. Leave the search for Ravio to the oracles themselves."_

_"I cannot agree more," a soft voice appeared from behind, and they turned round to see a frail man with blue hair and blue robes._

_"Ice Captain Pagos!" Kira and Fiegos were in shock. "You're awake!"_

_"Indeed," Pagos acknowledged them. "I hear that young Ravio has gone missing. I can't rest here at a time like this if the boy is abducted."_

_The man squinted and approached Kira. "Kira, are you all right?"_

_"Don't bother asking about me," Kira grumbled, and massaged the bridge of her nose. "Where did Ravio go?"_

_"It's not your fault," Kate comforted Kira. "But there's no time to feel sorry for yourself. We can spare some time to think about where he could be."_

_"Well, this piece of armor was found at the gates heading towards Teakwood Forest, the same place where Tanvir had been attacked," Fiegos began. "I'm pretty sure it's some sort of mutiny going on in the temples among the oracles."_

_"I'm sure I've noticed that Celebi was later than usual," Kate added. "What happened?"_

_"Celebi got worried," Kira explained. "It tried to go through the entire forest for Ravio. It must have delayed its arrival time at your time, Miss Katrina."_

_"Ravio and Celebi are supposed to be inseparable," Kira said. "That means... Celebi and Ravio had been in Teakwood Forest together, but somehow they got separated. I should scold Ravio for leaving without telling me when we find him."_

_"Ellios has been acting strangely," Pagos said. "He has been reserved as of late, but he still desired to see his son. I understand that Ellios wants to be with his own son, but... Why would he separate Celebi from Ravio?"_

_"Well," Fiegos added, motioning to Ben, Summer, and Kate. "Aren't these three the important ones in this thing? I'm sure the higher ups have caught on by now, and they're trying to stop us. I'm not trying to accuse Ellios of being our enemy, but he is the only guy who can do that."_

_"That is a pretty slow reaction," Kira thought aloud. "They should have done the separation earlier."_

_The poor woman sighed, and sat down on a bench to cool down, "How did I let this happen? I don't even know what to say..."_

_Everyone stood in silence, their minds dwelling upon Ravio's whereabouts. However, Kate turned around, with her two young Rangers following after her._

_"We should get ready for the next temple clearing," she called to Kira. "Let's ready the party in ten minutes."_

_Kira looked up hesitantly._

_"Y-yes..."_

* * *

><p><em>"That was quick!" Fiegos grinned as they exited the grand doors of the Lightning temple, "We just got three floors down!"<em>

_"I believe that was a complete understatement," Pagos remarked, earning a small glare from the fire temple oracle._

_Kate and the Rangers didn't so much as speak throughout the entire trip up those three floors. They were pressed on time and had no time to talk so casually. They emerged back to the main part of the plaza where Kira, Tanvir, and Dasios waited for them. Ben could see that the man was relying on a pair of crutches to stay up, with some support from Kira herself._

_"Oh, Miss Katrina," the man blinked in surprise. "You're back."_

_"Yes, I am," Kate answered. "We've gotten three floors clears just now."_

_"Kira, have you been working with this woman?" Fiegos pointed at Kate. "She's damn fast! Miss, what's your secret?"_

_"Five of years of pain and suffering," the ex-Ranger replied flatly. "Anyways, how goes the search party for Ravio_

_"Not much," Kira answered, crestfallen. "At this point, I wonder if Ellios found him and took him to the Light Temple..."_

_"That worries me," Dasios frowned. "I didn't see him in the temple."_

_"What's the biggie about the old man?" Fiegos joked. "In his right mind, Ellios would be harmless."_

_"That is true," Pagos countered. "Unless Sabios is behind all this."_

_Ellios? Kate had not seen this man, but he had been mentioned before when she first started training Ravio. She had recalled that the boy had mentioned the man on their little sessions. To Ravio, he was a kind uncle who was loyal to the boy's father. She didn't pay attention until Ravio started talking about her father not meeting up with him as much._

_"Sabios?" The fire head oracle scoffed. "He's just a smooth talker. The only reason why he's a temple oracle is because he got on Ellios's good side."_

_"I'm afraid you don't know Sabios at all," Pagos shook his head, though to be fair, the man had been a head oracle longer than Fiegos. "He's earned Ellios's trust by his words alone. He seems to be planning something, too. What's more, he's good at putting people under his spell, that charisma. He's not relying solely on the power of his armor."_

_"Wait a minute," Kira said. "Are you saying Ellios is under Sabios's spell?"_

_"That is quite possible." Dasios joined. "In that case, Ravio may be in danger. I think Sabios is keeping it a secret from Ellios if he's taken away Ravio. From what Pagos said, he can be manipulative enough."_

_"I see..." Tanvir stroked his chin with his free hand. "This is a problem. According to your evaluation, Dasios, the Lightning Temple will be harder to scale, and we don't have the enough people for that, other than you Rangers and the head oracles. At this rate, It might take a full month to take care of all those temple levels before even reaching the Dark Temple."_

_Kate noticed that Kira was staring off over her shoulder. When she looked back, she noticed that both Ben and Summer were struggling to stand, and she realized how much time had passed. This, too, was a problem, she noted. The ex-Ranger took out her Styler and drew a simple sign on it. The green time-traveling Pokemon flew in and circled around her head. She let it rest on her shoulders and bury its head in comfort. The poor thing had been tired waiting for Ravio to return. She was feeling the effects of staying too long, but Celebi didn't come back soon enough._

_"I'll be returning now," Kate said to the head oracles. "However, I must request that Celebi pick us up within another two weeks, considering what Tanvir said. Those two need a little more than what they have now."_

_"I see," Pagos nodded in deference. "You are of much help."_

_"Yes," Kate said. "Though I promise you, we will be at full capacity tomorrow."_

_"Looking forward to that!" Fiegos grinned._

_"Come along now," Kate called to the younger Rangers. "You're almost home."_

_"Right…" Ben answered in a small choke, and soon they were gone in a flash._

* * *

><p><em>The head oracles were alerted by the usual hum of Celebi. They were greeted by Ben and Summer in their usual red, white, and blue uniforms. Kate, however, did not wear her usual dark gray coat that reached her ankles. She wore no jacket, just a dark blue short sleeved shirt, which was not much improvement to color. But, according to a certain redhead's suggestion, she'd be able to move faster without coattails beating against her legs whenever she ran. [1]<em>

_"Welcome back, Ben, Summer, and Miss Katrina." Pagos gave a respectful bow._

_"Long time no see, Pagos," Kate replied, as she had quickly learned the head oracles' names from their time back in the Lightning Temple._

_"How far shall we scale the temple this time?" Pagos asked._

_"All the way," The woman said confidently. "I asked for those two weeks for a reason. We all should be able to last a full three weeks."_

_"That is good news," Pagos smiled._

_"You guys are staying?" Fiegos's eyes glittered. "That's really good news!"_

_"Thanks for your help," Kira smiled._

_"So it's morning," Tanvir said. "Are you setting off right now, Miss Katrina?"_

_"Yes, we are. The head oracles and we are able to handle it. You should focus on finding Ravio."_

_"All right," Tanvir nodded. "I'll go to the east side. I hope we'll find Ravio safely soon..."_

_"We'll be heading off, then," the ex-Ranger said as she led the two children behind her to the gates of the temple. Fiegos was the only one coming with them this time, since Dasios and Pagos reasoned that they would not be able to help against Brotos. He was bouncing on his feet despite the weight of the robes and the armor on his shoulders._

_"So, just the four of us?" He grinned. "This will be fun."_

_"Yes, it will," Kate gave a small smile before heading forwards to push open the gates. Ben observed that Fiegos was having a hard time understanding the woman._

_"Wait, did Miss Katrina just smile? I feel like I should treasure that for the rest of my life."_

_"Kate has been in a better mood for the while," Summer said uneasily, to which Ben agreed. Honestly, he could only believe that only reason why Kate was so friendly with the head oracle was because the man reminded her of a certain redhead back home._

_When they all passed the gates, Kate gave her recent students a look of concern._

_"Are you handling this fine?" Kate turned to Ben and Summer, who nodded quietly. "That's good. We'll finish this soon."_

* * *

><p>Kate sat before the two teenagers seated on the mat of the small gym. They were focused individuals, which made work more easier. She was sure Ben could do this, but she was not sure for the girl. Even Mismagius and Mr. Mime, who were following their master around this time, gave uneasy glances at the Ranger. Summer may have good physical capabilities, but without Black Water, she may not even possibly withstand this.<p>

"Now that I am better, I will have you two work on something important," she began. "We need to make the pace of our missions faster, and we must finish this as soon as possible so we can give Leanne the information she needs. That means we will have to attempt to take fewer trips to the past.

"My goal is that we finish this business in two more weeks instead of four. There are certain details we have to skip, but we have to get going.

"You may have realized by now that there was a time limit in which you two can stay in the past. What we are working on now is increasing that time limit by pushing the extents of our body. You'll be going through rigorous endurance exercises for these two weeks, until you can withstand a full day under the conditions of time displacement without getting tired."

Kate gave her students a cold look. "Do you two believe you can undergo this training?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Good," the ex-Ranger smiled. "That's what I wanted to hear."

* * *

><p><em>"Four levels in one go," Fiegos smiled. "You're not even tired?" [2]<em>

_Ben shook his head. He really wasn't tired, now that the man mentioned it. He had thought that Kate setting her two psychic and dark Pokemon on him was brutal, even worse than Keith, but he was for once grateful. He was sure something important was going to happen soon, enough that Kate couldn't wait another week to finish it._

_"Summer!"_

_Fiegos's shocked call caught the boy's attention, and he saw that his partner was hunched over on the ground. The Ranger ran to Summer's side. The girl was barely able to stand, and it had been a whole twelve hours. He looked and saw that Kate was concerned about Summer. She had trouble keeping up with Ben when they were practicing, and she was already disadvantaged._

_"Summer," Kate asked as she walked over to talk to her personally. "Can you stand?"_

_"Yeah..." Summer said quietly. "I'm sorry I caused you so much trouble."_

_"It's fine. I'll have Celebi send you back if you need to. I've arranged for Basil to pick you up at the site._

_"But..." The orange haired girl stammered. "I can stay..."_

_"Summer!" Ben exclaimed. "You're tired!"_

_"Trust me," Kate's voice was smooth and comforting. "You need to rest."_

_"Right..." Summer smiled weakly. Ben watched the poor girl bite her lip to stop herself from crying. Even though they had already gone over the discussion, she still had doubts, insecurities that she wasn't useful enough. He always saw those feelings plaguing her mind, but he did little action against it. They had both been tired, and time couldn't wait._

_Kate called the green fairy back, and with a silent command, Summer was no longer in the temple grounds, gone in a flash of bright light. Ben could imagine that she'll be in a comfortable bed soon. He promised to himself that once this was over, he tell her what happened._

_Fiegos looked crestfallen that their party had been cut down to three._

_"It was sad to see her go," he sighed. Ben and Kate joined him at the last chamber door._

_"We need to move," Kate said. "Ben and I can stay a little longer, but not for long, let's save Brotos."_

_"Right!" The fire head oracle laughed sheepishly. "He's a bit of a meanie, though..."_

_"We'll find out, then."_

* * *

><p><em>When the doors of the primary temples opened, everyone outside didn't hesitate to cheer. Three staggering figures hauls out a massive armored man, and the temple oracles outside didn't hesitate to assist them. Kira, Tanvir, and the other head oracles rushed after the unconscious Brotos to the medical tent.<em>

_Luckily, the man woke up so after, but his reaction was all wrong. Brotos jolted out of bed, and was about to jump over out into the plaza when both Fiegos and Pagos jumped in and restrained him to the table. In cold swear, The lightning head oracle continued to struggle, until the nurse slapped some sense into him with a bucket of ice cold water._

_"Oh, sorry," the man apologized. "I have too many things to worry about. I got carried away."_

_Everyone, even the Pokemon, generated a low exasperated sigh._

_"Everything's all right now," Dasios smiled. "You've finally been rescued."_

_"Ugh... What?" the man's bulged out of head. "What did you say? I was rescued? What do you mean?" [3]_

_"You've been controlled by Sabios," Pagos explained. "You may not remember, though."_

_The blond haired man was scandalized by the suggestion of such an idea. He continued to insist that he had been helping young temple oracles, which was a full year ago. However, he was eventually convinced when the rest of the people in the tent calmly explained the situation._

_"I was not controlled..." He muttered, trying to figure things out. "Or maybe I was... I see! I must have been controlled! I have to go say sorry to the Pokémon!"_

_"Not when you're like that," The nurse glared at him. "I won't let you hurt yourself more than what these oracles did to make you stop killing everyone."_

_"Well," Brotos leaned back. "I guess I'll rest... It's embarrassing, having you see me like this."_

_"What's so embarrassing about this?" Fiegos sighed. "It's fine to show your weakness to us. You're our senior, and you can trust us!"_

_"Now that all the primary temple oracles are here," Kira spoke up. "We need to discuss Ravio and the next two temples: the Temple of Light, and the Dark Temple."_

_"Sabios and Ellios?" Brotos shook his head. "I don't know about that, but if you're planning on taking on both of them, you're in for a rude awakening."_

_"We don't have solid proof yet, so we're not going," Dasios said. "But we suspect that Sabios, the Dark Captain, is behind everything."_

_Brotos paused, and saw the sincerity of the rest of the tent. "If you didn't tell me what was going on, I would have said it was unlikely. As about now, I can actually believe that. That man good at putting people under his spell, I've heard.'_

_"On top of that," Tanvir said. "Other temple oracles from the Dark Temple have been acting suspiciously, too. They may be an odd bunch, but they don't ever set their Pokemon on visitors in normal circumstances."_

_"A tough nut to crack, indeed," Kira sighed, and looked to Kate and Ben. She had learned that Summer was sent home because of her injuries, so she was concerned for the other two. "Miss Katrina and Ben, are you able to stay a bit longer?"_

_"We are able to stay for a full week here," Kate answered. "As long as we are well rested and healthy."_

_"That's very kind of you," the woman smiled. "I'm sorry, but we'll have to discuss our plans for the Dark Temple later, once we have everyone back here."_

_"I don't mind. Now that we have time, any word on Ravio's whereabouts? It's been a full week, and at this rate, we can be safe to say that he's been captured or even dead."_

_"I've been to Teakwood Forest while you were clearing the temple," Dasios said "but I don't know where Ravio went. Other than that plate of armor, Ravio or his captor was able to clean his tracks well."_

_"Wait," Brotos was stupefied. "Ellios's son has gone missing? What happened?"_

_"We don't know, actually," Kira said. "We're thinking that the controlled oracles are behind this, maybe Sabios, or Ellios himself."_

_"They were doing that to make sure that we delayed our conquest of the temples," Pagos added. "They didn't seem too aware that we had outside help to finish the temples on time. Hopefully, they'll return Ravio to us when they realize that their efforts aren't working."_

_"Bi... Bi..."_

_Celebi had shown up, but much to everyone's horror, it was badly battered and bruised._

_"Celebi!" Kira ran forth and caught the poor thing as it dropped from flight. "Are you okay? Who did this to you...?"_

_"Look," Kate pointed when she came over to check the Pokemon. "There's something under its arm."_

_Kira quickly laid Celebi out on one of the empty beds and carefully removed the scrap of paper from under its arm, and walked away so the nurses could tend to its injuries. She slowly began to read the contents until her eyes looked like they wanted to bulge._

_"Kira?" Tanvir walked over, voicing his concern. "What's on that letter...?'_

_"T-Tanvir..." her voice sounded shaky. "We-We've got a clue!"_

_"A clue?" Fiegos shouted, only to be glared at by everyone in the tent. "Sorry..."_

_"It's a letter for us," Kira frowned, handing her companion the scrap of paper. "This is from Sabios. And it's about Ravio."_

_"Well then, what does it say?" Brotos demanded. "Read it aloud for us."_

_"This isn't good," Tanvir muttered but took a deep breath as he began the letter. "_

_I just found Ravio in Teakwood Forest. He's injured, so he's under our care now. Ellios, his father, is too busy to deal with him. I myself have so many things to take care of, too. Ravio is well now, so he is heading back your way. Please come and receive him at the gates."_

_-Sabios"_

_"The words may be polite, perhaps too polite," Dasios thought. "but this must be a trap to lure us in. I'm worried about Ravio... Is he really injured...?"_

_"But it's Sabios," Tanvir objected. "This is obviously a trap. Either we don't go at all, or we send a group over there. No one is going alone."_

_Before anyone could say anything else, they were met with loud shouts from outside in the plaza. Everyone heard a distinct sound of something large crashing into one of the buildings, followed by panicked screams and cries. Kate quickly turned on her heel and bounded outside._

_"I'm going to check outside," she called to the temple oracles and gave an urgent look to Ben. "You're coming along."_

_"Yes!" The boy said, and the two took a fast run towards the source of confusion. They found a crowd of temple oracles, afraid but adamant, trying to block something from coming into the plaza to hurt any more was beginning to feel a little sick inside, as if something foreign, like himself, had appeared in the plaza. His stomach churned from the uneasiness he felt from the atmosphere._

_"You feel it, don't you?" Kate's voice seemed to read his mind. "I'm sure you know this feeling before."_

_"I... I don't," Ben focused, and they heard a pained grunt. Kate reacted quickly and ducked. She grabbed Ben by the arm and dragged him to the ground, right before a massive man of a temple oracle was flung over their heads, knocked out as soon as he hit the stone road behind them._

_Kate took the opportunity to run forward push a temple oracle away, flinging him to the side of one of the buildings. Ben got up and followed closely after the ex-Ranger all the way to the front of the lines, where they were met with something more unusual._

_It was Ravio. Unlike his partner Celebi, the boy had no injuries whatsoever. Alarmingly, he didn't wear the usual cheeky smile, but a blank glazed expression. Ben recognized that same look. It was the look of an awakened beast from the essence of a child who had just been changed: just like himself. Someone did it. Someone gave Ravio the wretched Black Water._

_He stood at the foot of the gate to Cocona Plaza, with a portion of the gate's pillar in his hands. A whole quarter of the wall had been taken apart completely, with unconscious bodies of temple oracles strewn around the sides._

_"More reinforcements!" the temple oracles yelled. "Nothing seems to scratch him!"_

_"They don't stand a chance against him at this state," Kate said as she stepped forward much to the temple oracle's protest. "It's our turn now."_

_"What do we do?" Ben asked, crouching into a more stable position to fight._

_"We do anything we can to knock him out," Kate said. "He's going to slaughter everyone if we don't act fast."_

_"Right," Ben said, and he summoned his Styler, that released a signal of light. Quickly, Luxio slid onto the scene, standing protectively before its partner. The little lion growled aggressively at Ravio, who didn't give any notice to the opponents before him. Ben wondered if the Pokemon, too, got agitated by these ominous signs. He gave a quick hand signal, and the Luxio roared and sent a barrage of thunderbolts at Ravio. It didn't affect the younger boy as much, even with his metal armor, much to Ben's frustration._

_"Kid!" one of the temple oracles shouted to him. "What are you doing?! That's a kid you're trying to kill right there!"_

_"I've got this!" Ben yelled back. "Leave this to me and Kate!"_

_He felt a twinge of uncertainty, and looked back at Ravio. The young boy had taken a step forward, and bent down, ready to charge forward. Kate wasted no time to strike, and she stood in the way, with a Pokeball in her hand. She went for the kid's throat, but he was faster, and he stepped back. Kate tossed the Pokeball behind him, and out appeared a Machamp. The muscular Pokemon, upon command, pinned Ravio to the ground with its many arms._

_"Did you get him?" Ben asked Kate over the noise. She didn't answer as she ordered Machamp to hold the captured boy up. Ben, confident that everything was safe now, walked over cautiously as Kate inspected Ravio's face. Blank and soulless, she probably would say, and quickly, she threw a hard fist at the boy's cheek, and Ravio was limp in Machamp's arms._

_Ben could hear the voiced concerns of the temple oracle as he helped Kate carry Ravio to the medical tent. They, the strangers, had just attacked a child, but they had good reason to. When they reached the tents, they were met with mixed reactions. The temple oracles were horrified, but relieved that the boy had been returned "safely". Kira and Tanvir, however, noticed a swelling bruise on the boy's cheek._

_"What happened to him?" Kira demanded from Kate. "Miss Katrina, did you do anything to him?"_

_"Yes, I did," Kate answered as she laid Ravio on an empty bed. "I had to knock him out before he caused any more trouble."_

_"What did he do?" Tanvir asked. "Was he the cause of the crashing back there?"_

_"Yes," Kate said. "He tore up the entire front gate of your plaza."_

_"How...?" Dasios was incredulous. "A little boy... breaking rocks?"_

_"Head temple oracles," Kate looked at the four men in concern. "Do you know anything about a certain black stone from the caverns in Almia? It may have purple flecks on it."_

_"Almia?" Brotos spoke. "We do regular trade with them on the coasts of Cocona Plaza. I am in charge of imports and exports of the kingdom, but I do not recall approving such a thing."_

_"My men have excavated the high mountains of this island, along with the others," Pagos added. "We have never found such substances."_

_"Miss Katrina," Kira was beginning to feel more afraid. "Do you know about what happened to Ravio?"_

_"I haven't confirmed it yet," Kate explained. "But Ravio is not the same as he was before. He was given something that is derived from that stone I mentioned, and it is generally associated with the power of darkness."_

_"Darkness?!" Kira gasped. "Then it must have been Sabios! He did something to Ravio, didn't he?"_

_"I can't say for sure," Kate tried to ease her fears. "But we need to keep Ravio asleep for now. I'll give specific instructions for the nurses to take care of him. We need to rest,"_

_"That's right," Pagos agreed. "We found Ravio now, so we can bring all the temple oracles back in position here. We're going to take on the Dark Temple tomorrow."_

_As everyone began to clear out of the tents, Ben noticed that Celebi had been healed. The green Pokemon fluttered over its Ravio's side and slipped under its partner's arm, hoping to find more comfort sleeping there as it sang a quiet song to sleep. Ben wordlessly left the tent after Kate as they were led to their temporary quarters._

* * *

><p>NOTES:<p>

[1] I wanted to have Keith come along on the time traveling missions at this point, with the reasoning that with more people, they'll get the temples done faster, but I opted not to because I guess I didn't feel like dealing with too many characters all at once. So he's just patrolling for the majority of this arc, and he has judgment call on what Kate wears now.

[2] The temples are expanded and are implied to have more levels/chambers.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:**__ Long chapter because I'm dying to get going onto the next part of this story, because I miss Nema and Leanne a lot. Uh… yeah… I did go through all the temples (except Deoxys) by myself, which was a bad decision, but I had lots of time on my hands, so I was literally sitting in my bed with a stopwatch. At first I did realize how hard it was, so I tried to see if anyone else did it online, but there wasn't much sources on what happened, so I ended up just going through it myself. The things I do to myself for the sake of writing can be pretty tasking._


	21. Data Complete

**Tracks of Light**

**Chapter 21 – Data Complete**

* * *

><p><em>Ravio woke to the startled shouts of nurses and visitors pacing about the tents. Everything about him felt foreign, the lack of his armor, the softness of the bed he lay upon, the cold sweat on his chest. He found himself staring up at pale faces. He didn't nearly die, did he? The young boy pushed himself to a sitting position to get comfortable.<em>

_"What..."_

_"Are you all right?" Kira asked tersely. Ravio nodded slowly. He was conscious, that was for sure._

_"Why am I here?" Ravio asked. "I was sure I was walking in the forest..."_

_"We found you at the gates of Cocona Plaza," Ben told him. "You've been missing for almost a week."_

_"A week?" Ravio frowned. "But... how... I can't remember anything about being away for a week."_

_He decidedly wrestled the bedsheets off himself and clambered out of bed. Everyone flinched to make him stay._

_"Ravio, get back in the bed," Tanvir said._

_"What are you talking about?" He asked, grabbing the glass of water from the table. "I'm perfectly fi-"_

_A shatter of glass hit the floor, with Ravio staring in shock at his wet empty hands. And he didn't even pick it up yet._

_"How did I break that?" He asked. Tanvir and Kira looked at each other uneasily and took deep breaths._

_"This will take some time to explain."_

_With Ben's assistance, Ravio listened closely to Kira and Tanvir's story. It would have been easier if Kate were around, but she was with the temple oracles now in some discussion regarding the Dark Temple._

_"Kate will tell you the details later," Ben ended his explanation. "But she said you can't leave the tent until we know how to deal with you."_

_"That's... not helpful," Ravio slumped. "And you cleared the primary temples without me? I feel... a little useless."_

_"No, you're not useless," Kira reassured him. "You were training hard for the past year, and you were very good at keeping up with everyone at the beginning. I'm sure Miss Katrina and the head oracles will let you fight again in no time."_

_"Yeah," Ben agreed. "I'm surprised you didn't do anything too serious when you came back. All we should worry about making sure you don't break anything by accident. It comes with the job."_

_"Well, no more glass for me, then," Ravio shrugged. "Though... can I break a rock with my hands?"_

_"Easily," Ben frowned. "So you better not touch anything... or anyone."_

_"Oh," Ravio frowned, and he held onto another glass cup, and with great gentleness, he lifted it. Ben wasn't sure if the boy was doing that out of defiance, or just curiosity._

_"Well, at least you know some amount of control," the Ranger remarked as he left the tent to do something else._

* * *

><p><em>Ben approached Kate as she exited the head oracles' tent. The woman gave him a respectful nod and allowed him to walk beside her to the medical tent.<em>

_"Has Ravio woken up?" she asked, her voice rather eager._

_"A few hours ago," her student answered. "He broke a glass cup, too. He's still there, like you asked."_

_"Good," Kate said. "Ben, do you remember what I taught you back when you were still a first year at the Academy?"_

_"Before... or after...?" Ben hesitated while deep in thought. "Wait, after you saved Almia... yes, I remember. Keith retaught me everything after I graduated, too."_

_"That's good," She sighed in relief. "Ravio will have to learn to do this soon. Coincidentally, I've taught him some basic techniques on controlling strength when I was helping him train a year back."_

_"That explains why he didn't break the second glass of water," Ben said. "So how are we going to teach him?"_

_"Not me," Kate said. "You are teaching him, Ben."_

_"O-oh..."_

_The Ranger readily accepted the assignment, even though he wanted to burst at her. He never taught anyone before, and he was confident that he was never adept at speaking to young children, let alone people. Well, if he thought about this harder, Ravio was only a few years younger than him, so they were the same age, ah, forget it. Ben was left in an inextricable mess when they reached the medical tent._

* * *

><p><em>"So... I am supposed to punch until I stop landing bruises on you."<em>

_"Pretty much, I guess."_

_Ravio and Ben were sitting in a clearing out in Teakwood Forest. Despite Tanvir's protests, Kate suggested that they work together over in the forest than in the plaza to avoid attention and potential collateral damage. For extra measure, they sent several temple oracles to keep watch on the two as they left._

_Ravio stared at the Ranger uneasily._

_"Ben... that's not going to hurt you, is it?"_

_"No, it's not," Ben sighed. "Let me show you, I guess."_

_He took a knife he borrowed from the armory, and made a clean cut on his arm. He watched Ravio wince at the blood spilling from the wound, but was astounded when Ben wiped away the blood and revealed that the wound closed itself and looked like it had never been cut. Ravio looked at his own arms, wondering if he could do the same._

_"You don't have to worry about me," Ben smiled uneasily. "They'll heal in no time."_

_"O-oh... okay," he said, as he readied to fight. "I... I guess I can't hold back."_

* * *

><p><em>Ravio drew back his sword and stood by while Kate clapped her hands, satisfied with the results of one week.<em>

_"You've improved," she said. "You're like a head oracle, except a bit faster."_

_"Thanks," the boy smiled, joined by Ben. "I don't see why I need to use weapons, though."_

_"Think of it as a closer bond with Pokemon," Kate said. "Think of it as if you are a Pokemon. It would be nice to form a bond with Pokemon by fighting alongside them, right?"_

_"Oh, that makes sense!" Ravio smiled. "_

_"So, how's the kid?"_

_Everyone turned around and saw the temple oracles gather around, their armor clinking at the joints. They looked more armed, with weapons of their own besides their Pokemon. Ravio had never seen the temple oracles dressed so seriously before, and he easily could tell what would happen in the next hour._

_Celebi rejoined him at the center of the clearing, and it rested comfortably on the shoulder plate of his armor. The time traveller had recovered well, and it was inseparable from the boy again, only unless Kate asked politely to let him focus on his trhe was dying to ask._

_"We're finally going to the Dark Temple?"_

_"Not exactly," Dasios confirmed. "While you were practicing, we had to clear the temple ourselves to fasten the pace."_

_"But, we have saved the best for the last," Fiegos grinned. "All but one of the floors have been cleared in the Dark Temple. That's Sabios's place."_

_"Sabios..." Ravio repeated the name with venom. He had learned of the suspicion surrounding his uncle, that his uncle was the one who gave him lack of control over his unlimited strength, but it made him wonder... If Sabios was the enemy, why would he try to make Ravio stronger? However, he couldn't assume that Sabios had done this to him, even if the man had taken questionable actions before. He hoped his memory will improve afterwards._

_"So when are we leaving?" He asked Kate and the others._

_"About now," Brotos answered. "Everyone is lined up to take on whatever's in that last door of the temple. We should hurry."_

* * *

><p><em>Ravio's mind was in a livid state, as he rolled over, barely missing an erratic barrage of dark attacks thrown his way. Only the strongest were allowed to go up, as the journey through the final floor had worn down three quarters of their party. Dasios and Brotos were left behind to take care of the others, so it was only the Rangers, Pagos, and Brotos with him.<em>

_He could hear Pagos shouting at him to step aside for a bit, but it was so faint, perhaps he could accept it as if he never heard the Ice temple oracle call to him. He got up and made his way over to the Duskinoir, ignoring the shouts of the head oracles._

_His light feet carried him through the rain of attacks, his eyes twinkling as everything around went slower than usual. He saw the proud smiles of both Miss Katrina and Ben and he gave a bounding leap, with Celebi cheering him, covering his sword with its own special brand of aura._

_They sliced through the body of the Duskinoir, and the Pokemon, intact but screaming in agony, clutched its head as it broke from its control. The head oracles and the Rangers combined captured the calmed ghost Pokemon._

_Once the dust settled, they faced a man in gold armor, engraved elaborately with runes and foliage motifs that he could recognize. Ravio had never seen anything like it, and he was safe to say that this man was not good news._

_"You're done, Sabios!" He shouted, his sword directed to the man. "Take us to Ellios!"_

_"Ellios, you say...?"_

_The voice appeared from behind them, everyone turned and saw the robed man. Brotos, ever the more spirited temple oracle, wanted to jump at the traitor, but Pagos held him back._

_"Sabios, so you are here," Pagos grimaced._

_"And indeed I am, young Pagos," the man returned with a mad smile. "I am honored that you attempted to break into my own property."_

_"It was not yours to own," the ice temple oracle reminded him. "It is of all the people. And I believe you were the man who taught me that."_

_"Wait..." Brotos frowned, and he turned back to the golden armor. "If you're here, then who is the man in the golden armor?"_

_"Yeah!" Ravio shouted back. "Who is he?"_

_Sabios burst into a fit of laughter._

_"Oh, don't you know?" He sneered. "That man is the very man who leads all of the temple oracles of this island! He is Ellios, your own father!"_

_Ravio stopped and looked back at the golden stranger, his helmet removed, and the boy was in a state of fear and anger. He was looking into the gaunt face of the great head oracle.._

_"Dad...?" He croaked, but he was ignored. Ellios gave his son a reprehensive glance and headed towards a slab of stone that became a doorway to light. He disappeared promptly, leaving everyone in a longer state of shock._

_"Dad!" Ravio desperately ran to the disintegrating door, but was met with a slab of rock again. Sabios laughed at the boy as he crashed head first and crumbled to the ground. Ben cried out his name and was helping him up, but he brushed away the Ranger's helpful arm._

_He got up and found Sabios closer in proximity. He didn't question how the man got so close, but he charged forward, with all his strength, but he was met with great resistance. Sabios didn't move very much from the impact, and the armor was protecting him quite well. The old man returned with an unflinching grasp on the sword. With little effort, he bent the sword out of shape, rendering it useless. Ravio gasped, realizing what Sabios was._

_"Y-you, too?!"_

_"Of course," Sabios smiled. "You're like me now, little Ravio. I am the one who force fed you that stone!"_

_"So it was true!" Brotos roared. "How dare you do that to Ellios's son! What were you trying to do?"_

_"I planned on making him my pawn," the dark head temple oracle laughed. "He was supposed to be my apprentice, after he fell to ruin after massacring all his dear friends, companions, and villagers. He was to come to my arms and ask for help."_

_"You didn't count on us being there," Kate spoke up. Sabios grimaced at the woman, as if she were something disgusting._

_"I did," Sabios spat. "I don't know who you are, but you and your charge were to die at the hands of Ravio."_

_"That's bad news," Kate stepped forward. "Because there isn't two of you, but four."_

_"I was aware," Sabios said, and pushed Ravio away. "But everything is already in order. Ellios is completely lost from this world, and the gods will bow down to me. and only me. And I must leave to take care of some loose ends. Feel free to follow me, but be prepared to meet your fate."_

_In a flash, Sabios was gone. Ravio wildly looked about to find the traitor, and looked at Kate._

_"Miss Katrina!" He demanded. "I'm going to get him!"_

_"No, you won't," the woman said sternly. "We're pulling back. Our work here is done."_

_"But-"_

_"Ravio."_

_The boy turned to see Ben, who was just as cold. Feeling the pressure from everyone around him, he settled down and followed closely after them._

* * *

><p><em>Ravio sulked in his tent, with Celebi soothing him with its song. He was angry, and betrayed, that his father would fall into Sabios's trap from words. He was not happy that they couldn't go after them sooner. He understood that the oracles needed a strategy, so he had laid back quietly. It still made him upset.<em>

_"Ravio?"_

_The familiar voice of his teacher caught his attention. Not wishing to upset her, he burst out of his tent, and stood as stiffly as a board._

_"Yes, Miss Katrina!?"_

_"You're very loud."_

_"Oh..." the boy's cheeks flushed red from embarrassment. He spotted Ben coming their way to join._

_"Ah," the Ranger smiled. "I thought you'd be asleep by then."_

_"Well, I should be," Ravio smiled sheepishly. "I can't sleep."_

_"You're energetic tonight," Kate smiled. "But I would like to talk with you before the next morning."_

_"Why?"_

_"Because Ben and I will be gone by then. If you haven't known, our time here has run out. We can only stay for so long."_

_"You'll be gone?" Ravio was surprised. "But aren't you going with us to the Temple of Light? You two are some of the strongest people here!"_

_"That won't be necessary, Ravio," Kate said. "You have the rest of your friends and family to support you. You've been spending so much time with us that you've forgotten that you have others who are close to you."_

_"You're right..." Ravio looked away. "But we might be not as strong."_

_"Uh, Kate said you should have trust in your friends," Ben said. "You've learned a lot, and you've grown a lot. So did they. I don't think it's okay to underestimate their strength."_

_"Yes," Kate placed a reassuring hand on Ravio's shoulders. "You've learned all that we can tell you. Someday, Ravio, when you obtain true wisdom and courage, I believe you can be as great as the Pokémon Rangers, like Ben."_

_"Great? Me?" the armored boy was bashful, pushed further by Celebi's teasing. "Heehee... You really think so?"_

_"You need courage and focus even more than before," Kate laughed. "But you'll be fine. You've changed a lot since I first saw you."_

_"And so have you," Ravio blinked, confused. "How come you changed? You used to talk very little. You didn't even smile as much."_

_"Because this year I met people who reminded me that I can't be alone," Kate said. "The time I met you, I worked by myself, and I didn't want to talk to anyone. I felt that whatever I was doing, I could do it alone. I was proven wrong later on."_

_"That's a good improvement," Ravio smiled. "I guess it's only right that you go home now. We need to go back to normal and improve ourselves."_

_"That's good," Kate smiled, and she walked past him, with Ben following behind her. "This is goodbye, and I hope your father will be fine by the end of your battle."_

_"Goodbye...?"_

_By the time Ravio turned around, Celebi hummed its mournful farewell song and his two teachers, friends, and companions were gone. [1]_

* * *

><p>With a loud thud, Ben and Kate landed on the rubble of the temple ruins on a warm evening. They looked around for anyone in sight, and without question, they headed towards the main village square where they could hopefully find Kate's little brother, waiting for them. Ben felt tired again, after having withstood the effects of lingering too long in the past, and he could feel his muscles aching for the first time in months. In truth, he didn't feel as physically tired before when he only did menial jobs back in Almia.<p>

"So we're finally done?" Ben asked as they stepped out of the ruins and into the main dirt road in Teakwood Forest.

"Yep. We're not going back now. We have enough information for Leanne and Nema. I'm going to store our new information into the database."

"Ah," Ben remembered. Leanne was still doing research on the ruins. But was this mission for Kate's own purpose?

"I have to ask," Ben said as he followed closely behind the ex-Ranger. "Why did you have so much confidence that Ravio will win?"

"Do you remember the song of the Three Beasts?" Kate interrupted him. "There are three versions but they're all the same."

"With his own two hands," Kate narrated. "A great hero of legend defeated an evil man of power, dethroning him to become a King, a link to Pokemon and the people. His lineage has faded into obscurity due to mixing with those of other regions. By now, or fifty years ago, the only trace left with such royal blood was a noble family, but they eventually were lost to history as well, save for one final man who perished five years ago." [2]

Ben didn't know what Kate meant, only that Ravio could be involved in their issue about Black Water. He didn't think much of the rest of the story as they carried their weary bodies back home.

* * *

><p>NOTES:<p>

[1] I could have extended the past arc with Ben and Kate assisting Ravio with taking on Arceus and Ellios at the same time, but this would disrupt some plot devices that have not been introduced clearly into the plot (e.g. Golden Armor, full depth into Steelhead), and Ravio's role as a character is more active instead of waiting for Ben to finish the temples. He's a big boy and can take care of himself. The other characters, such as the head oracles themselves, should also be actively part of the cause.

[2] I am very poor at foreshadowing, am I? Basically Tobias is somehow related to Ravio, but very distantly.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:**__ And we're done with the past arc, all wrapped up in short spurts. Now we can move along with actual plot! :D_


	22. Faldera

**Tracks of Light**

**Chapter 22 - Faldera**

* * *

><p>Leanne was impressed with the new information that Kate, Ben, and Summer were able to bring from their time-traveling missions. When Ben showed her actual pictures from his Styler of what he sand Kate found, the archeologist could barely contain her excitement. At this rate, he was sure that the woman spent the entire night looking at the photos.<p>

The second he returned back to Basil's place, he immediately thought of Summer. He was afraid she'd be resting in the small ward, but much to his relief, Summer was only tired when she was sent back to the present. He found her already asleep in their room, peacefully resting under the covers. She woke up refreshed the next day, but shocked that Ben had returned already. Her shrieks probably woke up the house, but it sure woke him up.

"Ben! You're back!"

"Y-yeah..." the Ranger stammered under her weight when she hugged him to death. "I guess I am."

"Well, what happened? Did everything go well? I'm sorry I couldn't help as much."

"No, no," Ben reassured her. "We did it, and you did just fine."

The two of them got busy getting ready for the morning as Ben told her the story. Koa, who was with Summer while Ben was a away, was bouncing about the room in celebration. Ben appreciated that his partners were happy, but their noise made retelling his story difficult.

Shortly after a quick breakfast, courtesy of Leanne and Blue Eyes (Ben was surprised she was helping at all), everyone was told to gather in one of the offices downstairs. Ben looked over to Summer, sensing excitement exuding from her. All these past three weeks was just waiting for Kate to heal and going to the past to gather information. He agreed with her that they needed a change of pace.

Rand was not present at the meeting this time, but Leanne didn't seem too awfully concerned about her husband's whereabouts, so Ben guessed that the older Ranger had gone out for something. According to Ice, the Wireless Tower is almost finished, and Rand didn't have to go as often anymore. Kate and Keith came into the room together, and once again, Ben was glad their reunion wasn't as explosive as he expected. All his thoughts subsided when Murph settled down at the table with everyone else.

"After we had a bit of a talk," the young chief said proudly. "Blue Eyes has agreed to help us out on our campaign against the Pinchers! Morgan, care to share what you know?"

The woman bristled at the mention of her name, but she got up anyway and headed towards the map.

"I can't trace all of Red Eye's movements," she explained. "But I would say that he would go after valuable Pokemon in these islands. The easiest one I know of is Moltres. According to old documents, the bird is said to be resting in Faldera Island's volcano."

"Moltres in Oblivia?" Keith objected. "The last sighting is as old as a hundred years ago."

"Yes," Leanne agreed. "But in the volcano, there's proof. Somewhere is a passage to Moltres's resting place, from the information we know."

"What?" Summer muttered. "But... I wonder where this Faldera Volcano is..."

"In the south part of Oblivia, there is an island called Faldera Island." Kate answered. "You could fly to the place if you wanted to, but as of now, the birds aren't abundant as they should be on this island. A big ship would be preferable."

"We can use The Union then," Murph said. "Booker just gave us a call yesterday that the hole in the hull has been fixed. Now she should be ready to depart anytime."

"That's a relief," Summer sighed.

"Are we going to be leaving for the island now?" Ben looked at Murph expectantly. "With no plans? We can't just be camping out in that island until Pinchers show up."

"Don't worry," Keith smiled. "Murph and I have it all covered. We sent Rand to the island last week to keep us posted on anything new. He just gave us a small warning yesterday night, so we're taking action now."

"So here's the plan," Murph said, excusing Blue Eyes back to her seat. "Ben and Summer, you two are to go to Faldera Island by The Union. You'll meet up with Rand to fend off the Pinchers from Moltres."

"Right," Ben and Summer both agreed to their roles.

"Kate and Keith," the chief looked to the two older Rangers. "You two are setting out to Sophian Island to get information. Leanne and I believe their next target would be Articuno."

"According to legend," Leanne explained. "I heard that it is in a deep sleep somewhere in this Oblivia region. But, I don't know where it could be. We have one good clue, and it's in the closet, so I'll show it to you later."

"Fine by me," Keith said. "Murph, let's finish discussing details for the kids. They should get going soon."

"All right then," the man turned to Ben and Summer. "It's going to be a bit heated over there at Faldera Island, like Boyleland, but much worse. You should take care of yourselves there, because there's only one or two settlements in that area. The Union should still be Tilt Village. Have a safe journey."

"Understood," Ben saluted him. "I'll be going now."

As soon as they were gone, Murph turned to the others at the table.

"And now, a second subject..."

* * *

><p>With the help of Raikou, the two Rangers arrived promptly at the small harbor at the end of Tilt Village. They spotted the familiar figures of Booker and Nick and led Raikou over before sending the beast away. The old man was happy to see the two of them again, and the directed them to the docks where the bright red ship lay in wait. Summer gasped in awe that the ship was really almost new like Murph had said. There were no signs that the ship had been damaged before.<p>

"Twas nothin'," the shipbuilder grinned toothily when the Rangers thanked him. "I looked The Union over from stem to stern, and I could tell that everyone'd taken great care of her. A stain from a juice spill's nothin'. Please keep takin' good care of her."

"You make it sound like it's one of your kids or something," Ben remarked, and Koa squeaked curiously.

"Well, of course," Nick smiled. "The truth is, when he was younger, my boss built the Union!"

Both Rangers gasped in awe. "R-Really?"

Booker only shrugged.

"Yeah, but so what if it is?"

"Boss also made the Big Booker Bridge and Tilt Village's windmills." Nick continued. "More importantly, my boss made almost everything in Oblivia that is made of wood. It's not a lot, but there are even a few things I made."

"That's amazing!" Summer gushed. "What have you not built on this island, Booker?!"

"Y'all have probably crossed bridges with the same design as Nick's striped shirts," The old man sighed. "They're uneven, got some gaps, but they're fairly sturdy. He's got the making of a decent craftsman."

Nick beamed at his teacher from the praise. "Th-thank you, boss."

The revering smile on the old shipbuilder's face quickly became an irritated frown.

"More importantly, Nick!" He pointed at the ship. "What was that terrible work just now? Hurry back. We're doing' drills with the saw."

Color drained from the poor boy's face, as if he lost all faith in the world's capacity for kindness.

"But boss! My arm muscles are so sore!"

Nevertheless, Nick ran off to catch up to Booker, who already started trotting away from the harbor back to his cozy workshop in Renbow Island.

"Booker's an amazing craftsman!" Summer. "He's strict, but he has a passion for woodwork. Thanks to him, we can set sail on the Union whenever we want! So how about a leisurely sightseeing cruise?"

"Now's not the time for that," Ben frowned, though he did like Summer's attempt to stay cheerful. "Let's hurry for Faldera Island!"

As soon as they got onto the ship and started sailing away, they realized that they had forgotten something important.

"Ben, did Keith ever teach you to steer a ship?"

"No, now that I remember..."

Koa bounced nervously on Ben's shoulder now that the two Rangers were at a loss. Ben was sure he could handle the ship himself, but he probably would crash the Union, which would add to more repairs, and he didn't want to give Booker any trouble of sailing over to Faldera just to fix a boat. They probably should find a way to turn back to the harbor and get help. Meanwhile, Summer was most likely thinking the same thing.

Their train of thought was cut off by a startling creak of a door opening.

"Oh, I was sure I had this docked a while ago."

"Really? You must have tied it loosely."

The mop of striking blue hair was recognizable to both Rangers, and they jumped in surprise.

"Ice?!"

"Oh," the man raised an eyebrow, noting their presence. "You came here early."

"Ben's here already?" Basil squeezed through the door frame and Ice. He threw his arms around Ben as if he thought the boy had died. Ben didn't blame him. The two of them haven't talked properly for quite a while.

The first thing Basil did afterward was playfully punching his friend in the shoulder, "You should have given us a warning or something!"

"Murph didn't say that you were going to be here," Ben laughed nervously. "So we didn't really check the boat before we left."

"Did you really think Murph would let you two go off on your own on this boat?" Ice said pointedly.

"Ice is really good at this sort of thing," Basil smiled reassuringly. "He's been at sea for a long time once in his life, so he's going to be taking over this ship on the way to Faldera!"

"Oh," Summer bowed to the blue haired man. "Thank you for helping us."

"No need," he smiled as headed towards the front of the boat. "I'm glad to be of assistance to the Union when I need to."

Koa, enjoying the gentle rocking of the boat, landed down on the deck and scampered after the blue haired man, much to Ben's surprise.

"Koa!" He called after the small mouse as he chased after it. "Wait for me!"

He found his partner Pokemon in the vicinity of an Infernape and an Empoleon standing around the front deck. Koa was jumping excitedly at the presence of such large Pokemon, and the other two were just as happy to see the Pichu. The Empoleon was kind enough to extend a wing so Koa could climb onto it. The Pichu climbed to the top of Empoleon's head and squeaked to Ben, showing off the incredible height it had climbed. The Ranger humored the little Pokemon with a small chuckle. He strode over to help Koa down, and he noticed how the Empoleon and the Infernape didn't flinch or attack him for being too close. In fact, the Empoleon gave a small bow, and the Infernape was gazing off into the sea again. So they belonged to someone?

"These Pokemon are really friendly," he remarked once Koa was back on the floor.

"They're Kate's," Ice walked over. "I guess she believed that we might run into trouble."

"I remember as small little Pokemon," Summer said. "Back at the Partner Farm? I thought they were released after you dad sold off a bunch of land."

"No, Kate and I took them with us," Basil said. "We've trained them, too. Sometimes, our little sister takes them on her journeys, too. They've gotten a lot stronger now."

"It must have taken a long time to help these Pokemon get this far," Ben remarked.

"Well, you'll be amazed at what can be done in five years," His friend winked. And the conversation continued well.

In an hour, a strong pungent smell reached the ship and the two of them looked up at the sky. The clouds have certainly become unnaturally gray, and small flakes of ash rained down on them like snow. Some landed on Ben's shoulder and he took a small thumb size of it.

"Ash?" Ben murmured letting the small particles drift from his hands, and he silently agreed with Basil to retreat into the cabins in the ship. On the way to the door in the back of the shop, he saw Summer's head poking out from the door.

"Hey!" Summer shouted above the rumbling of the waves. "We're approaching Faldera Volcano!"

Both Ben and Basil looked ahead and saw what was causing their faces to sweat. The entire island was a red mound jutting out of the water, coated by molten lava from the active volcano in the center of the island. An excitable yet intimidated soul in everyone flipped several times at the size of the volcano.

As The Union slowly eased onto a small dock on the island, the Rangers were greeted by Rand, absolutely worn but still steady on his feet. Ben reckoned that the man had stayed up through the nights to keep watch on the island.

"Good morning, Rand!" Summer shouted to the older Ranger who returned a strained smile.

"Glad to see you're all well," he said as he helped Ben tie the boat to the posts on the dock. "I was wondering if you'd come. The signal gets jammed by the volcano's heat over here."

"But how did you get the message over to us?" Ben asked. He remembered Murph had covered this in the meeting this morning.

"The good old fashioned way," Rand said pointing to a flock of native birds in the sky. Oh, Ben realized.

"So this is Faldera Volcano," Summer said as she stared in awe of the great mountain.

"It's huge, isn't it?" Basil agreed. "It might be an attraction to more daring tourists in the future."

"Well!" Summer exclaimed. "Let's find Red Eyes and protect Moltres. We have to head for the peak of the volcano!"

"Hold on," Ice called her back. "Aren't you going to come up with a plan? Taking on a whole troop of Pinchers isn't that easy.

"And Red Eyes should be there leading the group, too," Basil added, and looked back. "And it seems like the Pinchers don't want to make this too easy for us."

Ben and the others looked back at the main trail that snaked around the mountain. Indeed, there were boulders and heated rivers of lava coursing acrossing the path. Ben agreed they could use the Pokemon around them to get rid of the obstacle, but that would take too much time, and Red Eyes would have gotten his hands on Moltres by then.

"Exactly," Rand nodded. "Well, good thing I know this volcano inside and out. Red Eyes is probably already up there already, so we're going to need a shortcut up to the mountain's peak. I found it when I was searching today."

"Basil and I'll stay back here," Ice offered. "We'll keep the ship safe so you'll have something to trav back on when this all ends."

"Sure," Rand agreed. "There's an outpost around the corner, so if you need to refill or anything, go ahead."

"Thanks, Rand," Basil said. "Though Faldera Island will be dangerous. I'm going to give you these two for the while."

Off the ship came both Kate's Empoleon and Infernape, and they took the Rangers' side. Koa, who had found a home on Empoleon's head, was squeaking excitedly to see the world at such great heights. Ben observed how calm the new Pokemon were about entering a volcano, and they looked at him, Summer and Rand with a sense of trust that didn't need to be proven.

"Be careful up there," Ice instructed the group.

"Of course we will!" Summer answered readily. "There's like what? Six of us? We'll definitely stop Red Eyes from awakening Moltres!"

* * *

><p>As soon as the guide at the harbor of Sophian Island signaled for the approaching boat to dock, all hands were on deck to haul the entire ship closer and hitch it to the nearest cleat. Out stepped two long time partners and Rangers, quiet from the lack of conversation. It wasnt long before one of them finally spoke.<p>

"How long has it since I rode The Resilience?" He asked to his companion, who was instructing Staravia to keep surveillance of the area.

"Not very long," she replied as she browsed through her worn Styler. Keith eyed the old thing in all good humor. He didn't expect Kate to change any of her gear, since she had little access to any more of Vato and Nage's things after she left the Union. Now that he looked at it more closely, the old Styler looked clunky compared to the small wristband-like Styler he and the others wore.

"You still use that old thing?" He had to bring it up.

"Why not?" Kate continued to press tirelessly at the scrolling buttons. "It works just fine like it did five years ago."

"No modifications? At all?"

"If you mean anything other than Basil's Sign Mode, then no."

"You knew Rand, didn't you? He could have gotten a new Styler for you."

"He's an Area Ranger."

Keith hesitated for a while, "True, but he could've requested one."

Kate ignored the rest of his ramblings. Keith had been nothing but a chatterbox ever since she said she'd be going on more missions with him. She didn't mind, since he always got the job done, but she worried that he was too happy to know she existed. He could let the mission go right over his head, not that it really ever happened before. Ah, she had found the address she needed.

_1307 Osfort Blvd._

While the kids were pursuing the Pinchers at Faldera Island, the rest of the group decided to take countermeasures against the Pinchers' next move. If Blue Eyes' words were anything to go by, the best bet was that if Red Eyes succeeded to capture Moltres, he would go for the second most accessible Pokemon of the trio, Articuno out on the top of Mt. Sorbet. It would be best to find where exactly the bird was on the mountain before the enemy did. And of course, which better people for the job than the two most able Rangers available on the islands?

The first task was to find the original version of an old tapestry. Apparently, Leanne had been fortunate to salvage most of her prized wool rug from the old base. Though singed at the edges, it was clear that the creation of the rug on the rug had something to do with ancient myths. Kate was more than happy to begin leaving the house to find the original rug maker, but she couldn't fathom why Leanne had to push so hard about how the Articuno rug was a wedding gift.

"Where to?" Keith asked for the address, and Kate began to walk in the direction to the main town square. Keith didn't even bother to ask questions as she went. He felt he was on a wavelength similar enough to hers.

Conveniently, a few streets later they arrived to a small shop at the outermost corner of the street. It wasn't most impressive, save for a few intricate wood carvings on the windows and some nicely woven rug patterns, but everything was plain and wooden. The only thing that made her realize this was the right shop was the intricately lettered plate that read Weber's Rugs.

She opened the door slowly open, her silence interrupted by a melody of little bells strung against the door. In response, a stout man popped up from under his workable, his hair disheveled by sawdust and string, and smock clothes worn and dusty.

"Guests!" He exclaimed, his face turning red from embarrassment. "Forgive me!"

"It's all right," Keith smiled. "My wife and I were just looking around for decorations for our home. You're Mr. Weber, right?"

Kate shot him a small look of disapproval. They came to ask questions and get the job done, not allow him to get away.

"Y-yes..." Mr. Weber nodded nervously. "I was just on my way for supplies, so I was worried I'd keep you waiting."

"No problem," Keith maintained his easygoing smile. "We'll be happy to take some time."

"Oh, really?" The man's eyes glimmered. "Thank you!"

The small man then scurried out the door, bells chiming softly by the door left ajar. Keith looked back at the open frame, feeling his partner's annoyed gaze from behind him. She did not appreciate his cover story.

"We're keeping this discreet, remember?" He reminded her. "We need to keep up appearances as normal people so we don't get tailed or something."

"Time doesn't wait for us to fool around, and I don't recall ever getting married to you," she countered. They were really short on time, and he agreed, it was hard to pass up anything now.

"Well if this bothers you, if he isn't back in ten minutes, we'll go after him."

Kate's silence was the closest thing to an agreement, so Keith went back to looking at the finely woven design of a phoenix-like Pokemon next to him. He looked back at her and made sure she wasn't staring back. Now that he had the chance, he continued to watch her as she walked across the rug of Articuno that was laid out on the floor. This was the rug that Leanne had told them to looke out for. The ex-Ranger's hands ghosted over the fabric, as if she wanted to detect any sort of secret hidden in the woven threads. She looked so focused, lost in her own thought. Admittedly, Kate looked best when she was absorbed in something...

"I know you're staring."

Keith was then staring at those blue eyes again, and he laughed nervously.

"So you noticed."

Not to boast, but Keith was sure he wasn't as bashful and flighty like he was as a teen, but he did feel a little embarrassed. Those intense eyes always took him away, even if one of them were fake now.

Kate walked over to him at a breadth's length, her face a few inches from his. She was less tense now that they were alone, as if she hadn't any rest for ages till now, a fact Keith could easily attest to. Even when they had found each other, silent moments to relax were rarer by the days they spent on these islands. In face of this opportunity, Late decided to indulge herself.

"You know," her voice became slower, and lower at that. "Now that you've got me warmed up to the idea, I was wondering about how everyone is back home."

Home, Keith drifted. She meant the Union, of course.

"Ah, that," he replied. "You know Rhyth and Isaac have a wedding in a few months."

The woman didn't look too surprised, but she was a little surprised that he could leave that out of all the conversations they had already.

"Is that so?" She smiled a little. "Let me guess. You came all the way here to ask me to her maid of honor?"

"Right on the money."

Kate looked at him in ridicule.

"You sure had guts trying to find me this way."

"But having guts aren't so bad, you know," the redhead shrugged. "If it weren't for me and Ben and Summer, you'd be dying in that sub."

She laughed a little. Just the small change from the cold was comforting to his ears. They stayed together for a while, and the only sound in the shop was the small clink of the bells on the swaying wind chimes.

"It's been ten minutes," Kate said quietly. "We should go."

Keith waited a few moments before agreeing.

"We should. What's taking him so long?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**_ *drags self out of a pool* I did it... another update._


	23. Former Obligations

**Tracks of Light**

**Chapter 23 - Former Obligations**

* * *

><p>The shortcut, as expected, cut a great amount of time to climb through to the center of the volcano. There were several great streams of lava flowing in the way, but Kate's Empoleon easily created small bridges of cooled lava for them to cross. They didn't start encountering Pinchers until they reached a larger part of the volcano, where the heat was beginning to feel unbearable.<p>

Ben felt like he couldn't think about anything else except stopping Red Eyes from reaching Moltres. Koa, who lived all its life on a small island, was already clinging to his shoulder, shaking uncontrollably. Summer was swaying in her step, her face painted with sweat, and Rand didn't look too good, either. At least Kate's Infernape didn't seem to fazed by its surroundings. After all, fire was its primary element. Ben began to trudge across the chamber, when he didn't realize who had appeared at the chamber entrance. A whole flock of Pinchers, just as sweaty and tired, but their mouths still seemed to function.

"Hey, Rangers!" A sneering voice got him. "Playtime's over!"

No one wanted to respond to the Pinchers, or rather, no one could. Ben and Summer raised their Styler, ready to set any nearby Pokemon on the Pinchers' Pokemon, while Rand followed suit, albeit slower than the young Rangers. Empoleon and Infernape watched the opponents warily, knowing their own companions were at a vulnerable position.

"Did you make lots of memories in Oblivia?" One of the Pinchers laughed as if that was all the energy she had left. Everyone's voices were becoming more languid, and Ben could see even the Pinchers looked like they could drop dead at any moment.

"Let's top of your trip with bitter tears!" The Pinchers cried lazily, motioning for their many Combusken to come running at the group.

"Empoleon!" Rand called out. "Infernape!"

Without further instructions, the two grown Pokemon called out furiously, and they plowed through the little team of Combusken. The duo made quick work of their opponents; Empoleon created a sweeping wave of water crashing down on the chickens and putting out the fire, and Infernape delivered a swift punch onto any Pokemon still standing. The performance left the Pinchers slack-jawed as usual, fearful of what they had just underestimated.

"Th- These two..." One of the stuttered nervously. "The speculation was really true..."

"They're way out of our league!" They cried. "Let's get outta here!"

With newfound energy, the group of Pinchers fled the volcano. Ben stared at the arch that led to the next chamber, sweating profusely. The steadying hand of his senior Ranger calmed him.

"Easy there, kid," Rand spoke over the loud rumbling of the volcano. He gave Empoleon a small motion, and the Emperor Pokemon cooed quietly, and somehow, Ben felt the air around him grow colder, like an air conditioner on a hot summer day. The air around Kate's Empoleon didn't drive away the heat completely, but it would make traveling around the cave more tolerable.

Koa immediately reacted to the new temperature by energetically jumping on Ben's shoulder. Summer, who was in the vicinity, also looking rejuvenated.

"Let's get going, shall we?!" Summer grinned from ear to ear, and Ben was willing to follow after her around the rocky entrance to the next chamber.

The Pinchers who fled apparently summoned a stronger member in their ranks, and that person, confident as he was, stood on a precarious positions on the stone bridge between them and the rest of the volcano.

"Great work getting this far," he clapped his hands for them. "but I can't let you go any farther. Your opponent's Tyranitar!"

Before them was a massive reptilian creature whose roar shook the volcano walls. The Rangers braced themselves as they lost balance from the rumbling ground. Ben surveyed the Tyranitar, noting the lack of mobility on a rock slab so narrow. Now if it wasn't so aggressive...

"This might be a problem," Ben commented, and he turned to Koa for help. The little Pokemon squeaked happily and bounced off his shoulder, approaching the large Pokemon, slipping on the little blue ukulele as it came forth. The Pincher frowned, mocking the considerable difference between the two, but Ben didn't fear. He stayed in wait as his Pichu made the first strum.

Koa's song was almost drowned out by the volcanic activity, but it was loud enough to make the Tyranitar stop roaring, and in seconds, it became docile. Ben wasted no time to call Koa back and send in Kate's Empoleon to attack the weakened Pokemon. And then the capture was complete with a few rounds from his Styler. The Pincher as shocked that he had lost, but he didn't scream like the previous ones did. He ran away, intent on reporting to his higher ups.

"Those guys won't stop," Rand said offhandedly as the shortcut ended, and they now had to climb the heights of the ladder. "Engaging every single one will be a waste."

"We can't escape now, can we?" Summer said. "This looks like the Pinchers use the same road as we do. Besides the shortcut, this is the only path we have."

"Should we split up then?" Ben suggested. "I can run I ahead, and you can deal with any Pinchers that you come across."

Rand shook his head.

"Faldera Volcano is going to get more dangerous from here. I can't have any of you get lost and hurt out in this place."

"Then I can go with Ben, like usual," Summer piped in. "If it's the two of us, we'll be a lot better off than Ben by himself."

"Well, we don't have much time," Rand readied his own Styler. "I'll let you go ahead. I'll hold everyone off here."

He watched the two Rangers speed away. The Infernape, fortunately, were left with him. He sighed, and looked back where a herd of Pinchers were scrambling to get the first shot at him.

"Well," the older Ranger said as he relaxed his hand muscles. "Just you and me."

The Infernape smiled before crouching in a fighting stance.

* * *

><p>Red Eyes wasn't fond of the scorching heat, but he could tolerate it enough to not whine and complain like his lower ranked subordinates did. Good thing those type of people were not assigned as his personal squad. Such weaklings served better as fodder for the Rangers than to follow him up here so close to the center of the volcano.<p>

They reached a dead-end of the path where the only thing there was a large slab of a dark stone, weathered by time and heat. The entirety of the surface was carved in old script, centered around some other symbols resembling fires and birds. Red Eyes admired the work as he laid his bare fingers on it.

"L-Leader?" A Pincher murmured behind him. "It looks like a dead-end. Are you sure this is the right door? You didn't take the wrong turn?"

He addressed the uncertainty without a glance to the man in question. "Why do you think we've been doing something as tiresome as collecting Emblems anyway? These Monuments were out here by someone in the past called the Hero to protect Moltres's sleep. We need the Emblem the Hero left to pass through here." [1]

The Pincher then nodded quietly. Red Eyes didn't say anything more to chastise his subordinate. The boy had just been inducted into his personal squad, so naturally he didn't know of what was going on in the upper ranks of the organization. Red Eyes hoped he would catch up soon.

The leader motioned to the pair of Pinchers carrying a tightly locked box. They complied and opened the complex set of locks to show a broken chunk of stone with a glowing blue Emblem embedded into it. The Emblem, he heard some of the men and women breath in awe.

"Now watch carefully," he said as he lifted a hand to the large slab of rock and the other hand upon the fragment. "O, Ancient Emblem. Open a road for us!"

In reaction, the Emblem brightened and the stone emulated, the same emblem emblazoned on the surface where Red Eyes laid his hand. And in a flash, the monument was gone, leaving behind a cavity in the chamber big enough to walk through into a tunnel leading to relative darkness. Everyone stood at the entrance, amazed at the display of magic.

"A-Amazing!" His youngest subordinate sputtered. "Is that formidable thing... On the other side?!"

"Don't get worked up," Red Eyes chuckled lightly. "Be prepared and follow me."

He stepped aside and let his subordinates go through first into the tunnel before going in himself. Once he entered, he turned around to see the monument slowly materializing back its original position, hoping to challenge the next person to enter Moltres's stronghold.

Before he couldn't see anything past the rock, he spied a pair of legs making way into the chamber. He recognized the telling blue and red shoes of a Ranger, and frowned. So those men he placed back in the front couldn't beat the boy and his friends. He didn't expect them to arrive so early. But no matter. He'd let the Rangers get in. His plan was close to fruition, after all.

* * *

><p>"Damnit," Summer grumbled as soon as they skidded into the last chamber. "They just went on ahead of us."<p>

Ben, just as frustrated, approached the slab of rock that blocked the way ahead. Koa tried zapping it a few times, but to no avail. The small thing wanted to help, but it couldn't do anything now.

"What could be past here?" He wondered aloud. "Wait..."

"What?" Summer picked up on his low grumbles. "What is it?"

"Red Eyes," Ben explained his jumbled thoughts. "The Pinchers' main goal is to awaken all three of the legendary birds, right?"

"Well, yeah..." Summer pondered. "You mean whatever the Pinchers have done, it's all to awaken the birds?"

"Yeah. So... What did he look for again?"

"The same thing you use all the time to summon Raikou," Summer answered automatically. "Ben, do you remember? The Emblem Red Eyes got at the Daybreak Ruins?"

"Oh," Ben shook off his partners' look of concern. "Sorry, the heat must be getting to my head."

"Well, go on," she shrugged. "Go give it a try."

He drew the sign of Raikou upon the surface of the stone, which responded with a bright display of glowing letters and the sign emblazoned where he drew it. Just as the party before, the stone disappeared, granting the Rangers passage to the next chamber into the Volcano. Ben and Summer exchanged glances, realizing how right on they were.

"That's amazing, Ben!" Summer exclaimed. "Now we can go to the other side!"

"Right," he said, turning away from the blocked passage. "They're probably continuing their operation on the other side."

* * *

><p>Kate returned to the town square again, with Keith trailing closely behind her. She had made quick work to avoid such a public area when she came here, but since they couldn't find anything on the Weber's whereabouts, it couldn't be helped. They were about to leave for the next block when an old man came rushing past them, his trembling, skinny figure catching the attention a few passersby.<p>

"It's an omen, an omen!" He cried. "An omen of somethin' terrible!"

An elderly woman hobbled to him, eyes squinted and a narrow pair of glasses set over her large nose. "What's that 'bout ramen?"

The man took much offense, "I said omen! I was takin' a walk, when I looked at the flow of the river, from upstream the great Suicune came runnin' on the surface of the water, and he looked mighty angry."

Suicune, the same thought rushed through the Rangers' minds. So the legendary beast was here! Keith took off immediately after the shocked man and kneeled down to his eye level.

"Can you tell us what happened, sir?"

"I was so frightened," The man trembled. "I squeezed my eyes shut and without thinkin' 'bout it, started singing Suicune's song and all! You know how it goes, right?"

"Uh," Keith smiled uneasily. "No, actually, I'm not from this-"

"A wide, wide river blocks the way," Kate recited the lyrics behind him, not singing, but reciting. 'If you can cross, go ahead,' I say. The raging river likes to roar, 'No one can reach my other shore!' What nonsense speaks the silly river? For Great Suicune, it's one step. Hero on it's back, just one step… That's how it goes, doesn't it, sir?"

"Yes, that's almost exact, though it would have been nice if you actually sang the thing," the man stroked his beard, eager to continue his story. "When I finished singin' and opened my eyes, the Great Suicune was already gone!"

His story ended with a playful punch on the shoulders from the old woman beside him.

"Don't be silly, dear," His wife chided. "Suicune has always protected the Canal Ruins. There's no way it would leave that place."

"I know that! It's because somethin' impossible has happened! That's why I'm sayin' that this is an evil omen!"

The old woman sighed exasperatedly, helping her husband up from the ground."If you're mad enough to shout, go talk to Weber."

"Weber?" Keith frowned. "What does he have to do with Suicune?"

"Oh, that man," The woman shrugged. "He knows lots about Suicune. Today's Weber's day off from makin' rugs, so he's probably left for the Canal Ruins in the river."

"So that's why he left so quickly..." Keith noted to his partner. "We should go check the place out."

Kate absently turned away, checking the sky. "Agreed."

"Wait," the old woman sputtered. "What are you young people thinking, going to Canal Ruins?! I've heard that those Canal Ruins are a place where humans should not enter."

"Oh, don't you worry," The redheaded Ranger replied with a toothy grin. "Kate and I are certified Rangers. We can handle it."

"Oh, you are? I certainly didn't expect that, since you aren't in uniform. Though I must warn you. The Canal Ruins's a very strange place where even if surrounding areas are sunny, rain will fall there."

"Thanks for your concern," Keith bowed politely before rejoining Kate. She didn't bat an eye when he slung an arm around her. The feeling of constant human contact was something she was starting to get used to, since Keith didn't seem to grasp the concept of personal space. They continued north of the city before arriving at a fork in a dirt path. Sadly, no signpost.

Keith glanced sideways to his companion, "You know the directions, right?"

"This way," Kate shrugged off his hand on her shoulder and took the left path. "We'll have to jump over the river with Raikou along the way. Hopefully Ben isn't using him."

"No way. What use could a Lightning type be in a volcano?"

"Good point," Kate shrugged. "Let's go someplace far to summon him."

"Okay," Keith hurried after her. After a while, he began to worry.

"I wonder how Murph's doing."

"He's with someone competent," Kate was quick to reply. "I'm sure they'll get everything ready."

* * *

><p>"The wilderness is great!" Murph laughed, his boots crunching against the pebbles of the crude pavement. "Don't you think so, Morgan?"<p>

Blue Eyes glowered at the chairman, making sure that she fell a few steps behind him. She had hoped that distance would discourage him from trying to talk to her, but she was badly mistaken. And to answer Murph's question, she hated nature walks.

They had received word from Burkhart that some Pinchers were sighted in the series of warehouses on private property in Hinder Cape. With the lack of law enforcement, a whole group of them were camping out in these warehouses, taking sentry positions about the area all day. Most foolishly, Murph had decided to go out and see the situation for himself, taking Blue Eyes along with him. As much as she understood that they were in severe lack of Rangers to dispatch on missions like these, she saw little value as to why he let her go outside so freely.

"Ah, we're close!" The man was even more excited. "Oh, I can't wait to see how this goes!"

Blue Eyes looked ahead and as Murph had said, she could see the piece of land that jutted out into the ocean on HInder Cape, right next to a great fenced area full of identical, flat buildings. They both approached the fence carefully, until Blue Eyes held him back from moving forward. The chairman turned around, confused as to what Blue Eyes wanted.

"Watch," she commanded him, picking up a fair-sized stone and throwing it as hard she could at the fence. The rock didn't even hit the fence, but rather a shield of some sort. Murph gaped at the stone as it rebounded off of the shield and rolled across the ground to his feet.

"This is private property," Blue Eyes reminded him. "They won't let us in that easily. It looks like it had been done with psychic abilities."

"Psychic, huh?" Murph smiled. "Well, that shouldn't be too bad."

He took out a Pokeball and summoned a Slowking, who rejoiced at the smell of fresh air. It happily went forth and began repelling the psychic barrier, leaving only a layer of thick wires. Murph fumbled around in his pockets before pulling out a wire cable cutter. Blue Eyes wondered how he could carry such a thing all the time.

"Ooh, it's been a while since I've used these," he grinned and knelt down by the unprotected fence and began clipping. In a few minutes, he made a slit weak enough to make an opening. He pushed through, widening the gap between the cut wires and stepped into the property. He turned around for Blue Eyes to come along. She sighed heavily before doing so herself, ignoring the hand he held out to her in case she couldn't push through the wires. Slowking didn't so much as phase through the wires and barrier itself when it was time for it to pass through.

Blue Eyes went ahead of him (the slowpoke he was), and looked around corners to make sure no Pinchers would catch them this early into the mission. They edged along the sides of the tall warehouses, before stopping behind the wall that kept them from the a pair of Pinchers ambling up the path. They waited for the Pinchers to pass before looking behind from where they came from. Blue Eyes described to Murph that she could see the warehouse Burkhart was talking about.

"It's odd, though," she murmured. Unfortunately, Murph caught wind of her comment.

"Sorry, what was that?"

"I said it's odd. Normally, there should be more Pinchers required to stay on guard around a building as big as this. Also, the door to that warehouse is open."

"All the better, right?"

Either that or this is just all a trap, Blue Eyes thought. "Anyways, we should get in there before they change their minds."

"Right on."

Sneaking into the said warehouse was laughably easy, Blue Eyes wondered if these Pinchers were just new recruits who weren't allowed to do anything. That would be a good explanation for their cautiously made their way around the warehouse, climbing storage boxes and hiding behind them. Once they came across the scene at hand, they saw a small group of Pinchers gathered around a very big storage box, one almost as big the ones she would see on barges at the ports of Gateon.

"So twist and lock…" One of the Pinchers said aloud, flashing a key in his hand. "And that's that!"

"Whoa!" Another Pincher gasped in admiration. "Saying things out loud while doing them really is a good way to work!"

"It sure is! Because it you get used to something, it's easy to make careless mistakes."

"You're amazing, sir!"

"Ohoho! Don't mention it!"

"So, Chairman," Blue Eyes whispered to her companion. "Got any plans?"

"Not really," he replied, shrugging as he said so.

"How are we going to-"

Clang!

Blue Eyes nearly leapt for cover from that sound, but she could see the pleased smile on Murph's face. A tray of tools were now scattered across the floor around them. The Pinchers stared back in alarm. This didn't bother the chairman anymore.

"Oops."

"Intruders?!" The Pinchers looked ready to bolt for the door.

"What am I to do?" One of them fumbled with the equipment on his arm. "That's right, this!"

Blue Eyes acted first and shoved herself and Murph out of the way of a Ledyba hurtling in their direction. She immediately reached her wrist, but found nothing. Damn, she no longer had her gauntlet.

"Morgan!"

She turned around and caught the object tossed to her. Interested, she turned it over to seethe face of a standard issue Styler.

"Go ahead," Murph added, taking out a Styler of his own. "It should work very similarly to those gauntlets of yours."

Without further questions, Blue Eyes set the Styler off, letting the disc circle the distraught Ledyba. Murph soon joined her and soon the bug was set free. As the Pokemon flew away back to where it belonged, Blue Eyes watched the helpless Pinchers flee. She looked back at the Styler in her hands. Even though Murph said they were similar to the Pinchers' gauntlets, she could feel a completely different sensation when using the Styler. The superiors really weren't joking when they said the Styler we're based on friendship.

"Good game," Murph laughed as he headed for the large safe in

The middle of the warehouse. "They weren't as strong as I expected, though."

Blue Eyes watched the man quietly. She had watched him act for the last few seconds. He did seem to have some weight, but he was still rather nimble. His movements weren't too well honed, but there were definitely some sure signs that he had once been an athletic type of man. But wasn't he just the Chairman, a man whose only duty was to sit and manage the Union?

Murph pried open the lock, revealing a handful of wires that needed to be cut. He looked back and noticed that Blue Eyes was staring at him.

"Oh," he tried. "What's wrong?"

His words cut through the silence, startling Blue Eyes.

"I didn't expect you to be this… fit."

"Oh, don't be like that," Murph smiled. "I used to be a Ranger, you know."

A former Ranger? That explained a lot.

"Then why did you end up with a desk job," She asked. "From what I'd see, you'd be more suitable for something in the field."

"Oh, I resigned."

"You resigned?"

"Yeah," Murph continued to smile while he pulled on the wires. "I had a pretty bad knee injury on duty one day. I didn't meet the physical fitness standards for Rangers afterwards. Not enough stamina, you know?"

"Oh," Blue Eyes murmured absently, watching him pull open the hatch.

A strong gust of wind blew past her and suddenly she was enveloped in a sea of feathers. She watched the mass of Staraptor dart for the open space in the roof where the panels had been moved for air circulation. She looked back at the storage box, finding it empty.

"And so I was right," Murph looked at the retreating spots in the sky. "So this is why I haven't seen any Staraptor lately. They must have been trying to keep Rangers from flying everywhere and intercepting their own plans."

"I hadn't heard of this before," Blue Eyes said as she started to head outside. She could tell that there were definitely more Pinches than just the two they met in the warehouse. The best course of action was to take one of the freed Staraptor and return back to the young Davies boy's house.

"You didn't know about this?" Murph blinked as he went after her. "I guess that's because you weren't told to do all this. Anyways, now we should be able to get the help of Staraptor all over Oblivia, and we won't have to rely on using the Union as often."

They quickly edited the facilities and easily made their way back to the hole in the fence they had made hours earlier. Blue Eyes turned back to make sure no one was going after them, but found no one. She didn't think they were so incompetent that they didn't couldn't even find her and Murph. They had walked back to the beaten path again when she cut through her companion's musings to ask.

"Murph."

"Yeah?"

"You have been too hospitable with me for the past few weeks. Why?"

"This again?" Murph raised an eyebrow. "Because you want to save your brother, don't you? It's only in your best interest to work with us than go out on your own. The top dogs of your organization already got rid of all of your followers. You don't have much left. Besides, us Rangers have been cut off from Almia, so your help is important to us."

Blue Eyes nodded in agreement, albeit her disappointment. She was expecting him to say something more heartfelt and cheesy, but his lack of an emotional response made things better.

* * *

><p>The stinging heat intensified as Ben started ran out to the open to the heart of the volcano. Koa took the heat as a sign to climb back into its partner's shoulder. Summer was beginning to get clingy, clutching his forearm as a precaution. She soon let go to point at the flock of Pinchers gathered around an elevated slab of rock. Their Gauntlets were actively encasing the recognizable shape of Moltres.<p>

Summer broke away from him, seemingly forgetting that she had struggled with the heat. When she reached the Pinchers, she directed an accusing finger at Red Eyes, who looked as placid as ever at their presence.

"Red Eyes!" She cried. "What are you doing?!"

The Pinchers gave each other uneasy looks. Ben could guess they couldn't do much if they were too busy trying to capture Moltres.

"L-Leader!" A woman told her superior. "It's the rangers!"

"I know," the blond man scoffed. "I could hear them."

Before his underlings could object, Red Eyes stepped off the rock and landed to meet his foes at eye level.

"Welcome to Faldera Volcano, I guess," he gestured to them. "I didn't think we'd meet again."

"Nice to meet you, too," Ben frowned. "We managed to track you down here to Faldera Volcano. We know you're trying to awaken all the three birds. Why?"

Red Eyes didn't seem surprised in the slightest, and instead laughed at them.

"It seems like you had some help from Blue Eyes," he said. "I thought she had perished in the submarine, but I guess was wrong."

"It's rather sad," Summer jabbed back. "You speak of her as if she's a disposable member of your organization, even though she's your-"

"By the way," the man gave up on prolonging conversation with the girl and turned his attention to Ben. "I have bad news for you. Moltres is about to wake up. In other words, you're too late."

Summer stopped rambling and lost control of her jaw.

"What?!"

"Do you know the way back? I'm sure you've seen enough of Faldera Volcano by now. Just watch your step going down the mountain."

"We're not going to just leave you here with Moltres," Ben replied. "You know why we came here, Red Eyes."

"Yeah!" Summer followed. "We came here to protect Moltres from you!"

"Hmph," the Pincher turned his back to them, wishing not to deal with them any longer. "Tourists should just relax and enjoy the scenery," he turned on his Gauntlet. "Though staying too long will raise your blood pressure."

Summer pounced forward too early, ready to punch the living daylights out of the man, only to be caught by the arm. Ben yanked her back from where she stood, and before the Ranger could protest, two Scyther smashed the ground before them. Without any prompt, the two of them released their Capture Discs to get rid of the Pokemon. When they finished, the Pinchers were left awed by the speed of the Capture.

"Our Scyther were captured," one of them muttered. Summer couldn't have looked any prouder.

"You lost," she said as she put her Styler away. "So just take a hike!"

She was met with mocking laughter. Red Eyes clutched his sides, pleased with the looks of surprised on the Rangers' faces.

"Who cares about winning or losing a battle right now?" he looked back at the firebird. "Look at Moltres. My efforts were not wasted."

Summer was even more livid, and was held back by a concerned Ben.

"You didn't…"

"Fina…" One of the Pinchers gasped. "Finally, Moltres has awoken!"

Red Eyes jumped back onto the platform, looking at the relieved faces of his underlings.

"It was harder than I thought," he congratulated them. "But we finished one of our

operations. It's time to start the next part of our task!"

"Yes, sir!"

They all scrambled to the Z.Z. Flyers parked on the corner of the elevated stone platform, just out of reach from the agitated Moltres. The bird stretched its wings, crying ominously, and launched for the great opening at the top of the volcano. Summer watched in horror at what they had let happen, and she went ahead to reach Red Eyes.

"Wait, Red Eyes!"

The man was already ready to leave, but he couldn't stand the girl's stubbornness. With a few keystrokes, he called forth a Pokemon to stop the Rangers.

"Charizard!" He said ."Teach these two the meaning of 'quit.'"

"Summer!" Ben shouted for his friend, who didn't notice the massive shadow of a Pokemon that was about to land on her. Summer looked up, and reacted as quickly as she could, releasing her Capture Disc as well. She ran out of the way quickly, but her Capture Disc left unattended for those few seconds was not so lucky. The Charizard crashed to the floor, taking the Disc with it from under its foot. Summer stared at her Styler in confusion.

"My… Styler's broken…" she realized quietly.

"So long, Rangers!" Red Eyes began to take off on his Z.Z. Flyer, and the Charizard flew after its master. However, it never reached Red Eyes and was struck by a blast of cold water. The dragon spiraled back down to the bottom of the volcano. Ben ran past Summer, completing the capture. He thanked Empoleon and climbed onto Charizard's back. Koa leapt off of him and scampered to Summer's feet, knowing that flying was not a good choice of transportation.

"I'm going after him!" Ben called out to Summer and then to Kate's Empoleon. "Empoleon, keep them safe and get back to the Union!"

The bird understood him and picked the girl up into its wings and started on its way out. Assured of his friend's safety, Ben led Charizard up the volcano and into the sky. He could see Red Eyes's retreating figure and burst forward to catch up with him. Red Eyes noticed the Ranger's presence easily and turned around to confront him.

"Is stubbornness one if the qualities they look for in a Ranger?" He called out to Ben. "If you want to taste defeat that badly... Fine. I'll play with you for a little bit."

Ben quickly picked up the pace and managed to swerve out of the way, which was surprising when he was riding on a rather large Pokemon. Red Eyes, impressed as always, wanted to get serious, but a Pincher beside him interrupted his thoughts.

"Leader, we have a report," she yelled at him over the wind. "We've finally located Articuno! It's resting at…"

"Don't say another word!" Red Eyes roared. "What are you doing giving the Ranger information?!"

"Oh no!" she cried. "I apologize!"

Easily forgiving, Red Eyes looked back at Ben.

"Listen up, Ranger," he called out to Ben. "I admit that you won this time. But next time will be different! That Charizard looks a little tired. I won't say anything bad, ."

Ben didn't say anything and began to turn around back to Faldera Island when Red Eyes had one more thing to say.

"Hey, Ranger," he said. "As to why I'm doing this, you won't understand, and you might as well give up. A warning to you and Morgan."

"What…?" Ben whispered as the man flew away with the rest of the Pinchers. Before he could do more, he received a call from his Styler. He directed the Charizard to descend so he could hear better.

"Ben!" Summer's voice came through. "How are you doing? Did you catch Red Eyes?"

"He got away," Ben reported. "But he's already heading for Articuno. We'll have to get to Sophian Island a lot sooner than we thought."

"I see…" Basil joined in on the conversation. "I want to hear the rest, so come back to The Union for now. Rand's on his way back, too."

Ben looked back at the sky where Red Eyes had left him, he didn't particularly understand what the man meant when he said that they were going after something incomprehensible, and the thought bothered him when he landed on the deck of The Union. Koa quickly ran to him and jumped into his arms as soon as his feet touched the ground. Rand was already there with Summer and Basil at the end of the deck. He was busy asking Summer questions when he noticed that Ben had arrived.

"Yes, please don't worry about Moltres," Summer continued to speak. "The Pinchers didn't get it."

"So that's all they did?" Rand raised an eyebrow. "They said they had completed their plans when they simply woke up Moltres."

"And also it looks like their next plan has already been set into motion," Summer mused.

"This isn't good," Ben added. "I guess we can't really call it a Mission Clear this time, huh?"

Summer looked at him, and looked down. Basil shrugged and patted his friends on the shoulders.

"That's not true," he said. "You managed to reveal a little of their plans."

"But it wasn't only a little," Ben said. "We still don't know what their goals are…"

"What matters is that we know where they're going next," Rand nodded in agreement with Basil. "Building up little by little is important. I'm sure Hastings would say this would call this a cleared mission for now."

Ice ran over to them across the deck, calling everyone's attention. Summer had given him the story beforehand so he could relay the information back to Murph at Basil's home.

"We've got a message from Murph," he began. "He wants Ben and Summer to go to Sophian Island immediately. Rand is to return and patrol the island."

"Okay," Ben agreed. "But I thought Kate and Keith were supposed to take of that."

"They're preoccupied at the moment, apparently," Ice explained. "They've got everything ready for you, at the very least."

* * *

><p>Raikou gave a respectful bow before leaving the ruins, lightning dancing at its feet wherever it stepped. Kate pulled over the hood on her jacket to shield from the pounding rain. Keith had not known, and was already drenching cold.<p>

"Weird," he shivered. "Even though it's sunny everywhere, it's rainy here."

"It's be the entrance to Canal Ruins," Kate walked away, ignoring how cold he was. "Where Suicune is."

She looked ahead and saw a young man in a green shirt and long hair. She approached him, with Keith shivering behind her, and noticed his dazed expression.

"Excuse me," she said. "We're Pokemon Rangers. Would you happen to be Weber?"

The man turned around. "No, no. That's not me."

"I see," Kate backed away and was ready to proceed to the rest of the ruins. "Thank you for your team."

"Wait!"

They turned around to look back at the man.

"You two are Rangers, right? Actually, there's a problem! Not far from here, a suspicious-looking bunch that controls Pokemon is fighting with Suicune!"

"Were they riding in strange vehicles?"

"That's right! They were riding bid, saucer-shaped things. They ignored me completely and flew west along the river bank! Weber ran after them to try to stop them…"

"Pinchers," Keith muttered under his breath. "Looks like Weber got mixed up in this as well."

"Wait," the stranger asked. "You know Weber?"

"Yes, we are," Kate said. "This will get dangerous. I suggest you return to the resort if you want to be safe."

The man agreed and ran out of the premises. Kate quickly turned around. Keith was met with a bundle of clothes. He pulled the fabric off of his face and looked back at Kate, confused.

"You're cold, aren't you?"

"Oh."

He pulled the windbreaker over his head, and instead got a disapproving glare from Kate.

"You're silly," she said. "At least dry yourself before it on."

Keith was about to grumble, but he decided not to protest against an old friend's good judgment.

* * *

><p>NOTES<p>

[1] Red Eyes's original lines really made him sound like an asshole.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **_As you noticed, I went and made covers for all the stories on this site. It's a bit of a lazy effort, but I was too tired to hand draw any of my covers. Minimalism is not that bad that, you know?_


	24. Chapter 24

**Tracks of Light**

**Chapter 24**

* * *

><p>"Murph's got the message," Keith said as he trotted beside his partner. "The kids are on their way. Red Eyes is on the way here."<p>

"Good."

A leap away from land across the canal, Kate spring forward, but stopped short of the hum of incoming engines. She set her foot before the engine but she began to slip backwards, crashing back onto Keith, who followed much too closely.

Just as they fell, a streak of blue and purple blurred past them, followed by a much slower band of Z.Z. Flyers.

"Show-off, running on top of the water and all," one of the Pinchers cursed.

"We're closing in on the target!" Another said. "There's nowhere left for it to run now!"

"They're already here," Kate growled. "They're trying to keep it away from the Involith. Chances are they already got there already."

"Well, let's try to get there first," Keith helped her up to her feet. "Remember the coordinates Leanne gave us?"

"Yeah," the ex-Ranger pointed to her Styler. "It's this way."

They ran a bit more before arriving at a structure that was sheltered from the rain. Keith looked questioningly about the empty room and then back to Kate, who was amused by his puzzlement. She strode to the end of the room where a small pool hugged the edge of the room, and she stripped her first jacket. She took a Pokeball from her pockets and summoned a Sharpedo [1] that leapt into the pool and turned around back to its partner, waiting patiently. Keith's eyes lot up when he finally pieced everything together.

"There's a monolith down there?!"

"Yeah. This is the first one I found when I went exploring for ruins. I've been to the other monoliths, but I didn't realize their significance until I found the one down there."

"Oh. So should I wait for you up here?"

Kate paused, but her answer didn't require much thought.

"Stay up here. There are Pinchers still chasing Suicune, and we haven't found Weber yet. Go after them, and if Suicune's nice enough, maybe we'll get its emblem."

"Got it."

They parted on their own ways. Once Kate saw the last of Keith, she cut through the surface of the pond, her teeth clenched on the Aqualung. Sharpedo slunk in the water around her, a wary glare at the darkness that could prove treacherous. The shark relaxed once Kate regained her bearings and turned on the flashlight. She rested her hand on its fin and gave the signal.

The Sharpedo burst through the water and sped into the deep. It swerved through the many pillars of rocks that it had encountered before, and spiraled through a wide chasm. Kate smiled in amusement at her partner's penchant for fancy tricks whenever they went swimming.

They swung around another corner, but a telling sign of distant lights speeding towards them alerted Kate to switch her flashlight off. On signal, the Sharpedo pulled back behind the corner and hid them from view. As expected, Pinchers were surveying the area, chatting amongst themselves, from what she could hear from the intercepted communications.

"According to the above ground team, Rangers have arrived at the ruins," one of them reported. "But even if a Ranger does come diving in the underground lake, we'll just have to block the only way in."

One of them used their gauntlet to command a captured Corsola topple a tower of boulders that fell on the tunnel to deeper ends of the lake. The obstructions increased the noise on the communications, and Kate strained to hear the rest of the conversation.

"Only a little farther to the Involith Suicune was protecting," one of Pinchers declared. The other agreed quite readily.

"The fact that Suicune hasn't come back must mean that things are going great with the aboveground team…"

There was little value in whatever they were saying, so Kate decided that she might as well act now. She and the Sharpedo drifted out to the small passage between the rocks, and once the blocked way was in view, the Sharpedo barreled forward, with Kate hanging on to its fin while closely hugging its body. The shark effortlessly plowed through the barrier, and the two were treated to dropped jaws from the Pinchers. One of them finally managed to sputter a response, though to be honest, Kate wondered when her enemies would stop underestimating people of her kind.

"H-hey!" one of them said. "It's a Ranger! What should we do, sir?"

The clearly more higher ranked Pincher grabbed his subordinate and sped down the rest of the passage.

"Pull yourself together," he instructed the other. "There's only one Ranger, and two of us."

Kate and Sharpedo swam along as fast as they could, but she could see that the Z.Z. Flyer was still rather fast even in the water. She urged her Pokemon partner to swim a little faster, but she doubted that they'll be able to stop them from taking record of the Involith for themselves. She may have archived the symbol already, but it would have been better if she was the only one. The ex-Ranger made a move to turn around.

When she returned to the surface, she got Keith online.

"Kate? What's going on?"

"Where are you?"

"Me? I'm in the eastern parts of the ruins if Basil's maps are correct."

"Good," Kate ran out into the torrent of rain, clasping her dry jacket closely. "I just got out of the water. You shouldn't be too far."

"That's great. Did they get away? The Pinchers, I mean."

"Their Flyers were way ahead of us, but our suspicions remain confirmed. At the very best, we should make sure they don't capture Suicune."

"But you have its Sign, don't you?"

"I may have it, but it's probably upset by Pinchers' attempts to capture it. I suggest you capture it first. I'll assist you when I get to you."

"Sure thing."

* * *

><p>Keith shut off communications as he rose from where he hid in the canal. He blindly set off the Capture Disc into the air and led it around the walls. He ducked underneath the form of an unfortunate Pincher hurtled away from the fight. He avoided the man's puzzled expression and continued to the heart of the problem. The other Pinchers who stood their ground were struggling to keep the legendary beast under control. His appearance only made them panic.<p>

"What should we do?" One of them hollered over the roaring rain. "Suicune's mad, and the Rangers are serious!"

"Look for an opportunity and run!"

"Run where?! Even the four of us aren't enough to completely control it! Now we couldn't run even if we wanted to!"

Keith began making loops about Suicune, and the Pinchers slackened considerably. They stepped back and watched the Ranger in admiration.

"Ranger?!"

"Stay back," Keith shouted at them. "You're going to get killed using those gauntlets of yours."

The Pinchers gratefully bowed out of the way and fled, taking their injured with them on whatever Z.Z. Flyers they had left. Keith turned his attention back to Suicune, who looked back at him with untrusting eyes. It seemed to recognize he was not on the same side as those Pinchers, but it had begun to become wary of humans.

"All right, you big brute," Keith brought back his Capture Disc to recharge. "You have to calm down first."

The Suicune roared and darted away in the direction of the canals but Keith leapt forward, grabbing its hind legs and heaving back to attempt swinging it at the walls furthest from the rivers. The beast was stopped short of the canal, and glared back at the Ranger. Keith ignored the hostile advances and set forth to bring down his Capture Disc around the beast. He had captured legendaries before , so Suicune was no different.

His confidence chipped away when the Pokemon broke out of the circle and began charging directly at him. Keith could dodge then but that would leave the area open for the beast to escape.

"This is going to hurt a lot," He muttered to himself and braced for impact. The Suicune was less than a yard away when something dark flew in and landed a hit squarely on the beast's side. The Pokemon was sent skidding across the wet stones and crashed into the wall behind it once more.

"Was I late?"

Kate, drenched to the scalp, landed beside Keith and held up her Styler, the scope trained on the recovering Suicune. Keith didn't even try to hide his relieved sigh and redirected his Capture Disc to the Pokemon and was joined by his companion. The two discs spun rapidly around Suicune, each completing the others circle in tandem, and the work was easier.

The beast, now calmed by the Capture, rested at ease as it tried to regain its bearings. Keith fell back onto the wet slabs of stone, filled with even more relief than the last time he sighed. Kate approached the Pokemon, reaffirmed its Sign and returned to Keith, not before giving a respectful bow to Suicune, who returned the gesture before bounding away on the running canal. The weather began to subside, and the canals finally got their share of sunlight.

"We're done here," Kate said as she helped Keith to his feet.

"Ugh…" the redhead massaged the back of his head. "I think I might have been thrown too hard."

Kate gave him an amused smile before turning around to survey the area.

"Did you find Weber?"

"Weber?" Keith stopped examining his fading wounds. "I was too focused on catching Suicune, I didn't give that much thought-"

"Heeey! Over here!"

Kate and Keith looked up at tree not too far from them, and lo and behold, Weber was dangling from one of the bare tree branches, his sweater was snagged with twigs and dead leaves. The two Rangers hurried over and helped the poor man down. Wiping the wet leaves away from his drenched pants , the rug maker was filled to the brim with gratitude.

"Thanks for saving me!" He beamed.

"It was nothing ," Kate returned. "We were looking for you, in fact, and we were worried when you were out for too long."

"Oh, you didn't have to! Wait, well, I guess you did, but… Still, we'll catch a cold out here in the rain, so why don't we talk back at my workshop?"

* * *

><p>When Koa began whimpering in Ben's ear for far too long, Ben moved the Pichu onto the Staraptor's lap in front of him. He leaned forward more for greater measure. He wouldn't want his friend to fall off into the sea when they were in the middle of their flight to Sophian Island. Koa already dozed off in a few minutes, and Ben was sure he was going to have to keep a closer eye on the little guy.<p>

Meanwhile, Summer was flying in loops far above him with her very own partner Staraptor. He would chide her for being a bit too carefree, but he let it go this time. They were already going as fast as they could to Sophian Island, and Summer hadn't gone for her daily flights with her Staraptor in such a long time, he couldn't blame her if she wanted something to do something relaxing in the middle of these demanding missions.

Summer stopped doing tricks, he observed, and she swooped back down to Ben's level, and she didn't look happy in the slightest.

"It's far away," she looked ahead in the clouds. "But there's something flying wih incredible speed!"

Now that she mentioned it, Ben could sense not one, but several objects flying ahead of them. Summer went ahead of him, and he followed after her quietly into the overcast. When they got closer, they heard voices.

"We're not going to let you escape!" A man was shouting at the top of his lungs. "How dare you send one of our Flyers into the sea?"

"It flies so elegantly! Somehow, I feel like we are barely slowing it down."

"Hey, come on! Don't get so serious! Oi, You damn Latios!"

Latios? Ben thought to himself. As in the legendary Pokemon! He remembered that they had put off their arrival two months ago to stop the Pinchers from catching Latios. He was going to ask himself why they were still pursuing the poor thing, but then he remembered that they had failed to stop them. He heard Summer's Staraptor pull back and fly around the Pinchers to flank them. They were above, he gauged, and he urged his Staraptor to ascend above the clouds, coming face to face with Pinchers. He saw a blue blur shoot away from where they were situated, and that was all he saw.

"That's some amazing flying ability," A Pincher mused. "These flyers aren't exactly slow."

"Stop right there!" Summer barked at them. The Pinchers whipped their heads to look at the Ranger, and they reacted expectedly.

"Shit! It's a Ranger! Get down!"

The Pinchers left as soon as they were seen, and they went below to land. Summer clicked her tongue and made a move to go after them, but Ben flew in front of her way.

"Hey, Ben," her voice sounded dangerously low. "Don't try and stop me all of a sudden."

"Don't go after them."

"But-"

"Let them be," Ben said. "I'd like to get them, too, but for now, we have to head to the Aqua Resort. Focus on the mission first."

Summer wanted to throw something back at him, but she retracted her statement, and readjusted her course.

"Back to your usual self, aren't you, Ben?" she laughed. "You definitely got that from Kate, I'm sure of it."

Ben didn't say anything as they continued along. Only a startled gasp from Summer got his attention, and they were already out of the mass of clouds. Something resembling an ancient city of white lined the side of the island facing them. Not too far from the little paradise were the steel wharfs jutting out into the deep blue, and the small shapes of workers moving cargo in between the great motionless ships that lined the harbor.

Summer was awed by the breadth of the island, and could not hold her excitement, "This must be the port at the Aqua Resort!"

Ben only nodded in agreement, and looked down at the little bundle of fur on his lap. Koa had still been asleep throughout that entire flight, even after the slight turbulence and the skirmish with Latios. The little guy was a heavy sleeper.

"Hey, Koa," he prodded the Pichu on the back. "We're here."

Koa stirred in its sleep and it looked up, and shifted around where it lay. They were no longer in the high winds, allowing it to jump back onto his head. Its reaction was no different from Summer's when it saw the glittering town and its metal shores, and it squealed even more when he and Summer made one more loop onto the pier that lead directly into the town square. They sent the Staraptor away when a little girl made her way to them, her blonde hair drifting after her. Ben could have sworn her dress resembled the feather patterns of a Wingull.

"I saw you!" she exclaimed. "You looked cool fighting in the sky!"

Summer gave the girl a big-eyed stare. Ben was just as curious. This girl must have really good eyes of she could see them in the sky behind those clouds.

"Oh, and you saw us?" Summer engaged in conversation, easing the silence. "That's great to hear."

"I was jealous of how you and Staraptor were one," the girl continued gushing. "You love bird Pokemon, too, dont you?"

"I... uh... yeah, I do."

"I knew it! That's what I thought. Ever since I was a little girl, I've always been staring at the sky. Then at some point, I became able to share my feelings of friendship with birds."

"It's great that you were so moved," Summer smiled. "Maybe when you get older, you can actually fly on Pokemon!"

"Oh, but I don't have to worry about that!" the girl replied, and with a loud whistle, a flock of Wingull and Pidgey arrived to her call, circling above her head.

"I'm moved between the bond between Staraptor and you two," she said with an even wider grin. "So I'll introduce my friends."

"Those are the Pokemon we saw flying in the sky!" Summer's uneasiness faded competely, and she stared at the birds in even greater awe than when she saw Sophian Island for the first time.

"That's rather talented," Ben faced her.

"Thank you, Sir!"

Sir? He wasn't sure if he was even old enough to be called "sir." Was he going to expect that everyone on Sophian Island to be prim and proper?

"Well, we're rather busy," he excused himself. "We have important business here."

"Oh, I'm sorry I'm disturbed you!" the little girl's laughter died.

"It's nothing too serious," Summer said, and she knelt to the little girl's level. "My name's Summer. If you remember my name, maybe we'll meet each other again. So what's your name?"

"My name is Supurna."

* * *

><p>Keith eventually called Ben by Styler when he and Summer stepped into the center of the Aqua Resort. He was rather thankful that his mentor had remembered him and gave him instructions to Weber's workshop that had been so discreetly tucked away in the hidden streets behind the flashy tourist attractions that made up most of the square. With Summer by his side, they surely would have gotten lost.<p>

The door chimed again when they opened the door, and they were greeted by a small man who led them into a room in the back of the shop. Kate and Keith were present, both without jackets and sopping wet from head to toe. Ben had guessed they had just dealt with the Suicune Basil had told him about in the ruins not too far from the Resort.

"Is everyone here?" Weber inquired, looking at Kate.

"The archaeologist who was meant to interpret the rug hasn't arrived yet. She's arriving as fast as she can to the island, though we can start the discussion now."

"Yes, yes," Weber agreed. "So why don't you tell me what's giving you trouble?"

"We were looking for the original copy of the Articuno rug," Keith stated. "We were informed that your family owned this rug for many years?"

"Ah, that one," Weber scuttled to the doorframe and turned the lights on. "You mean this one?"

Sure enough, the familiar shape of a bird was stretched across an expanse of pale blue fabric that was pined on the wall in the far back of the room. Unlike Leanne's unfortunately singed rug, this original was in almost perfect condition, though slightly faded at best.

"This rug was made by my great-great-grandfather so that we would never forget how he was moved when he met Articuno," Weber explained, but he questioned the accuracy of his memory. "Wait... Wasn't it my great-great-great-grandfather? Well, at any rate, it was my ancestor."

"So you didn't make the rug yourself?" Summer asked, a little disheartened.

"Oh no, not this one," the rug maker smiled sheepishly, "Although I can assure the quality of my work is no different fro that of my ancestors."

"Did you know where your ancestor met Articuno?" Keith took them all back to the topic.

"Now, that I don't know. I've only heard that my ancestor saw Articuno, and family records don't get you very far."

Keith sighed and looked back at the rug discontentedly. "Is that so…"

"I-I'm sorry that I wasn't much help."

"Oh no, don't get so worked up," Summer reassured the man. "We can't do very much without Leanne, so…"

Ding! Ding!

_Speak of the devil_, Ben thought.

Leanne found them in the back room, and she appeared out of breath, a few strands of her blue hair plastered on her sweat-ridden face. She saw both Summer and Ben were right next to the door, and she looked ready to fling herself on them.

"Oh, I'm so glad you're both safe!" She said between breaths. "Your markers disappeared and we were getting worried. I was also on the way here, and I heard that Kate and Keith were having trouble over here!"

"We've finished that a long time ago," Keith laughed. "Sorry we didn't reply back."

Weber was most curious as to who this woman was. "And you are…?"

"Excuse me, sir," Leanne bowed politely. "My name is Lean e, and I'm an archaeologist. We bought a rug just like that Articuno one before a few years ago, and it was really wonderful."

"I wish my ancestor could hear those words," Weber bowed back respectfully. "I'm sure that rug doesn't just look good, but also feels vey soft to the touch and to walk on, right?"

"I've been meaning to ask, what are these rugs made of? I know it's fur, but what type?"

"The truth is this rug was woven from Pokemon fur. It's woven from Mareep wool, so don't worry, it's a perfecty humane practice."

Despite Weber's assertion, Koa was rather restless as it sat on Ben's shoulder. It eventually leapt off of the rug and scampered straight for the rug pinned on the wall, squeaking incessantly. Everyone was rather surprised that the little mouse was reacting so badly to the rug, and Weber began to sputter when it started sending sparks up the yarn in the warp.

"Calm down, Pichu!" He tried to stop it. "It's not that! We don't just pull Mareep's wool out! Mareep naturally sheds its wool in the summer, so we only collect and use that wool."

"Koa," Ben tried to approach his partner. "Come on, you heard him."

The Pichu didn't listen, lost in its glee that the rug was reacting to its impulses, and it sent a stronger shock to the rug, and the light was beginning to blind the rug. Weber paled when he realized how bad the electricity was coursing throughout the room, and made a move to stop Koa, but Ben stopped the distraught rug maker and was ready to go after the mouse himself, his Styler raised at the ready. The electricity stopped, and the Pichu, looking unsatisfied with its work, was getting to do it again, but poor Weber couldn't sit back any longer.

"It's no good," he cried. "You'll burn the rug to a crisp!"

Too late.

Koa zapped the textile with even greater intensity, and everyone was forced to shield their eyes from the light. Once the light faded and Weber's grief-stricken cries subsided, everyone was surprised by the glowing gold etchings that shone from the wefts of the tapestry. Even Kate, who probably knew more than Ben did, was just as astonished as everyone else. Weber looked up to see what would have remained of his family rug when he took a few shaky steps back, not believing his own eyes.

"Wh-what's this?!"

"Oh, I see!" Leanne's expression lit up instantl. "The Mareep wool that the rug is woven from has a tendency to store static electricity. The fact that it shines hand shocked is probably related to that."

"Hmm," Kate remarked, rather impressed by the handiwork. "An ingenious way of hiding messages."

"But these letters... What in the world do they say?"

"It's in this is Oblivia's ancient script," Kate answered deftly. "Leanne, that's what you're here, for, right?"

"Sure," the blue haired woman smiled and walked closer to take a look at the runes. "Give me a little time..."

After a while, the answer was found.

"So this is what it says," Leanne began. "Let me read it to you now:

_At the top of a snowy peak,_

_When my life's fire was fading,_

_I encountered Articuno._

_After that, I wove this tapestry with my own hands._

_I wove my respect into each thread of the warp and my gratitude into each thread of the weft..."_

"That's simple to interpret," Keith nodded. "The craftsman who wove this in the last was saved by Articuno on a snowy mountain. And he made that rug out of a feeling of gratitude."

Weber was surprised once again, elated that his family rug held even more meaning than it had before, "So that was the motivation behind the rug! Well, I'm very grateful you deciphered it!"

"That snowy mountain here must be Mt. Sorbet here on Sophian Island," Leanne supplied. "That isn't far from here, just north of this very Resort."

"That means Articuno is on Mt. sorbet, right?" Summer slipped in.

"Well," said Kate, "At least it's definite proof. We won't be wasting our time looking for it in the mountains now, would we?"

"Well it's best we get going," Keith stepped off of the pile of wool he was sitting on. "I'll call Murph and Basil and tell them we're going immediately."

Once the redhead left the room, Weber gave the Rangers a disquieted stare.

"Still, though..." he warned them. "Mt. Sorbet is famous for avalanches. I think it would be best to stay away, if you could."

"These young men and women are Pokemon Rangers," Leanne reassured the rugmaker. "Sometimes they have to brave dangerous places in order to protect Oblivia's peace."

"And I can't thank you enough for your service," Weber continued, his eyes lingering on both Ben and Summer. "But to have responsibilities at such a young age..."

"We became Rangers of our own choice," Ben explained. "You don't have to feel sorry for us."

"I understand. It's that the young are more likely to take risks and get hurt. If you're going to Mt. Sorbet, be very careful."

"Yes," Leanne followed suit. "Please be careful. I'll be waiting for good news. Murph suggested that I wait here in the Resort and he lent me a spare Styler in case you need to contact me, so please reply when you've finished. You, too, Kate."

The Rangers nodded and began to file out just as Weber engaged her in a discussion about the history of rugs and how to remove stains. The door chimed three times more as they joined Keith, who was waiting patiently for them outside.

"Murph got the message," he said curtly, and Kate rejoined him as they took the lead to head out to the mountains. Summer and Ben followed their seniors shuddering at the slight chill from the shade of the tall buildings on their way out of the small street to the main square. Before they could take a turn out of the town, Koa leapt off of Ben's shoulder again and went running in the direction of the fountain at the center of the fountain. Ben took chase, stopping the entire party as they looked onward at the young Ranger stumbling over his own feet to go after the little Pokemon.

"What's wrong with his Pichu?" Keith asked Summer, who had stood closest to him.

"I don't know," the girl shrugged, but Kate went past the both of them in the same direction to where Ben had been lost in the crowd.

"You two go ahead," Kate said. "I'll find Ben and catch up with the two of you."

* * *

><p>"Koa!" Ben cried after his partner. "Come back!"<p>

He could only see the Pichu by the blue ukulele strapped on its back, and he was being held back by the new wave of tourists coming his way. He watched helplessly as the the little mouse ran to the feet of a large man who was seated on one of the café tables that were placed around the one side of the fountain that wasn't for coin tossing. Once Ben managed to push past the multitudes of people, he arrived at the table, coming face to face with some rather familiar people.

"Are you from Dolce Island?" The large man picked up Koa by the torso and held it up in the air. "You're much too small to be running around someplace as busy as this."

"Arley?" Ben breathed.

"Ohoho!" A man beside Arley twisted his mustauche. "You can't forget me, too, can you?"

"Oh... um..." Ben tried to remember the man, since he was different without his makeup and his top hat. "You're that magician from Tilt Island."

"The name's Hocus, if you woud so kindly remember! And nothing up my sleeve but a hello!"

"Oh, right."

"Well, be careful with your partner," Arley returned the Pichu to Ben and gave him an odd look. "Wait… this little guy is your partner, right?"

"Yes," Ben replied. He turned at the sound of a teacup being set on its ceramic coaster on the glass table. His eyes laid upon aged hands to an elderly woman, probably as old as her two companions at the table. Despite age, the makeup and the way her hair was done upwards took away many years from her face, and he could have though this woman was around his parents' age.

"Oh," The new guest looked up at him from the table menu. "Who might this young man you boys happened to be so acquainted with?"

"Oh, Kasa, you haven't met this kid yet?" Arley laughed heartily. "This is Ben. He's a Ranger from Almia, and he's been doing the islands some good, saving Pokemon and all."

Kasa gazed at him with a more interested light. "Oh, is that so? So young for someone so grand."

"Oh, the boy's young," the heavyset man said. "But he's very talented. Speaking of which, Ben, can't thank you enough for everything at Rasp Cavern."

"Oh," Ben's looked away out of embarrassment. "It's nothing."

Kasa observed him with a small smile gracing her lips. A squeak of the chair against the paved square, and a hand extended out to him. Ben stared at the kind gesture and back to the woman again.

"My name's Kasa," her voice sang. "You don't have to stand over there. I'd you'd like, come to our table. You're invited to our little tea party."

"Ah, I'd rather not."

"Don't be so shy," Hocus grinned toothily. "We're all friends from a long time ago, Kasa and us. Since Kasa has come to Sophian Island, we're having a reunion."

"A reunion, huh," Kasa mused. "When we were young, the four of us traveled the world together."

Ben was surprised. "The four...of you?"

"Oh yes, now that you mention it," Hocus checked his old fashioned pocket watch. "It looks like the doctor is late."

"Oh yes," Kasa took a sip out of her teacup. "Isn't he constantly sought after these days by the people here in Oblivia?"

"The doctor?" Ben assumed. "You mean-"

"Hello, sorry I'm late," a familiar man in white walked by him. "I got caught by an overly talkative patient."

"Speak of the devil," Arley muttered, but he appeared pleased. It took a few seconds for the doctor to realize Ben's presence at this little reunion. He went bug eyed and grasped Ben's shoulders, giving him a disarming stare.

"Why, if it isn't Ben!" Edward laughed. "You're looking tan and healthy."

"My, my, Dr. Ed," Kasa said rather mockingly. "You seem close. Is this your grandchild?"

Edward took the comment and chuckled.

"It'd probably be fun to have a grandchild like this, but unfortunately that isn't the case. This reliable Ranger has been running around to help Oblivia. By the way, is everything going well with your duties?"

"Oh, I'm very sorry," Ben bowed respectfully. "I was on my way to a mission when my partner ran off in your direction."

"I see," Edward nodded in apology. "It's not a really good time to be enjoying a tea party with a bunch of people like us, then."

"Well, I would love to some other time," A cutting voice surprised Ben. "Excuse us for interrupting your party."

The boy whipped his head around and saw Kate standing right by him, and she looked visibly uneasy, but not at him. She glowered menacingly the four people at the table as she took a firm grasp on the young Ranger's shoulder.

"Oh, Kate," Kasa lit up. "How rare of you to show up in these parts. Didn't you have business back in Orre?"

"Yes," the ex-Ranger didn't relax. "And we must leave."

"Don't worry, little Kate," Edward smiled at them. "We're sorry to have held you up. Thanks to having such refreshing guests, I feel like I'm about ten years younger. Now that is real…"

"Magic," Kasa completed the sentence.

"Good luck on whatever you're doing," Arley flashed a grin. "If we learn anything, we'll be sure to contact you."

"If you get hurt, I'll have a look at you," the doctor offered. "Still, try not to be too reckless. You, too, Kate."

"Right," Kate's voice was curt. "Goodbye."

Without another word, she led Ben away and they began to weave their way out of the crowded circle. Ben could hear one last "Always so serious, that one" from Kasa before he was swallowed by the crowd. For just this while, Ben called back to the time when Kate was talking to those four at the table. She didn't seem very welcome to them, and apparently they've met before. Before he could think any further, he was shoved by another eager tourist. Koa hung tightly to him as the bodies pushed him against more bodies. When Kate finally took him to a less concentrated part of the square, she turned to him.

"We're running a little late. Can you manage sprinting?"

* * *

><p>They found Summer and Keith waiting for them at the base of the Mt. Sorbet's entrance that led into a dark passage. One single step inside, and Ben could feel a stark difference in temperature. It didn't take long before Kate smothered him with an extra thick coat. Before he could ask how she had these on her, he saw a Mime, Jr. bouncing back into its Pokeball. He took the coat gratefully and gave a second one to Summer. The poor girl was sneezing before she got proper clothes.<p>

They exited the cave, something that Ben regretted when he was hit by a gust of cold wind and snow at full blast. Everyone shielded their faces and on Keith's command, took shelter behind a tall rock. Not long after, a flow of snow came tumbling down the steep slopes. Koa, who was tucked away in Ben's hood, shuddered as the small avalanche passed by them and buried itself further in the warmth of Ben's head and the down in the jacket.

"This is bad," Summer clung to Ben's arm. "We won't make it on time."

"Yes, we will," Keith said. "Let's ask for help."

Kate and Keith immediately took out their Stylers and in one smooth motion, they called for their respective Pokemon signs. Suicune and Raikou landed on the snow, rather disgruntled that they were going to run in this snowstorm, but still willing to help the humans who had helped them. Ben didn't close his mouth when Kate pulled him aboard Suicune's back. Now why hadn't he thought of this before?

"Hurry up," she told him, and the boy hastily took his place behind the ex-Ranger and wound his arms tightly around her torso. He could hear the rumbling of the next wave of snow that was approaching much too close to comfort, but Suicune leapt up and began bounding across the plane, just like it had on the water. Raikou, who favored the stones that jutted from the white sea, wasn't too far behind, either.

* * *

><p>NOTES:<p>

[1] Yes, that's the Sharpedo from Almia. I imagine Kate came back for it, and it always somehow came back to her, so she thought she might as well allow it into her massive family of partners.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** _Okay, since this is taking a lot of time, I'm going to take a different approach to this story. I spend a lot of time going by the story, stuff people reading this already know, so that way we can get to the more important stuff, or whatever I did to add to or change the original plot. I really wanted to bring closure to this story for a long time, but I keep drawing it out because I end up not getting to motivated to write all the in betweens where I take the script and write it into something readable. So full speed ahead!_


	25. Chapter 25

**Tracks of Light**

**Chapter 25**

* * *

><p>Red Eyes braced himself for the next gust of wind. Even if he did dress himself appropriately for the occasion, this mountain was unbearable. He and his team had managed to climb all the way up to the edge of the mountain where Articuno rested, but even setting up the apparatus to wake the bird was difficult, he had to help his men himself.<p>

The job got even worse when those Rangers came in guns blazing and took out the people guarding the door. He didn't care very much about the children Rangers. The boy was certainly a threat, but he was nothing compared to his adult companions. Red Eyes was more concerned about that redhead and the woman who wore Ranger gear, but not their badge. Those two wreaked more havoc on the scene than the two children he faced on the volcano, and if he hadn't been careful enough, this plan would have surely failed. Thank the gods that his reconciliation prize for all these difficulties was to actually make the damn bird wake up and fly off into the boundless snow.

While the Rangers were distracted, Red Eyes called for his men to hurry and leave before they could be captured. Escape proved difficult, especially if climbing up here was any harder.

"Leader!" One of his men struggled against the blizzard. "Please wait!"

He went back to help a Pincher who had stumbled into the snow. "What's wrong? Are your feet okay?"

"I'm fine, boss," she gritted through her teeth. "But the blizzard is getting stronger! It could be dangerous to go any further."

"Yeah," Another joined in. "The Z.Z. flyers won't move, and my hands and feet are numb…"

"Hm…" Red Eyes looked around for any nearby chances of temporary shelter. His men were right. This blizzard won't die down so readily. If they could just reach a place to rest… He looked at the Rangers who were now padding their way to him and the rest of his party. In panic, he called out an Infernape, and that woman in the wrong colored jacket replied with an Empoleon, and the two Pokemon were at a standstill.

"Red Eyes!"

One of the Rangers called out to him, and he squinted to see who it had spoke. It was that girl he had held captive weeks ago. She sure was a talker, he learned all too well. In fact, she monologued him in the volcano, didn't she?

"We came to see you, just like we promised!" She fought against the roar of the winds. "Prepare yourself!"

"So even those two couldn't stop you," Red Eyes recalled the goons he had sent down to handle the Rangers. "Looks like your skills have improved even further. Articuno has already awakened. You're too late to say words like that."

And just like that, the winds stopped, and everything dropped onto the snow. Some hope of sunlight shined down on them, and everyone was in utter amazement at the sudden change in weather. The Rangers were more horrified than amazed, however.

"The-the blizzard... It stopped?" The boy gasped. "Is it because Articuno left Mt. Sorbet?"

The adult Rangers were smarter. They took the change to lunge themselves at him and the party, the woman placing more emphasis on tackling him, and he jumped out of the way, missing a kick to the gut by a hair's breadth. Her feet planted themselves in the snow firmly before taking off again straight at him, this time coupled with her hands grabbing for the looser parts of his jacket. Red Eyes caught on soon enough at her strategy and grabbed for her wrist, yanking her forward.

The woman stumbled, but she knew better than to crash right into him and used the deep snow to hold herself back, and Red Eyes had the pleasant surprise of being thrown over her head several feet. That's right, several feet above her head. How was that even possible? Was this woman superhuman?

He landed painfully on the ground, more importantly the more rocky parts near the walls. No rest was allowed when he felt hands taking a fistful of his jacket and hoisting him up from the ground. He was hoping he'd be honored with the face of that woman worthy of giving him a fight, but instead it was that girl. Summer. He remembered her name for once.

"Red Eyes," She attempted to be menacing, "Do you have any idea what you done? You weren't satisfied with just controlling and taking Pokemon from their homes. Now you've gone and woken a legendary Pokemon with your tricks. The crime and consequence of throwing the people of Oblivia into uncertainty is greater than you think."

"You don't have any right to mouth off to me, girl," he replied. "I'm only doing what I'm supposed to do. Unlike Blue Eyes, who can't even imagine that and instead came to you hoping to stay alive."

Summer was visibly disgusted. If she were more brazen enough, she could have spat at him. Instead she clicked her tongue and let him drop to the ground.

"How selfish!"

"Summer!" someone, the boy, he presumed, was calling for her, and she abandoned and joined the rest of her companions who were in a heated skirmish with the rest of his men. Correct that, in a cleanup of his men. The two adult Rangers proved too good, and his men didn't even stand a chance. He struggled to get up, his back protesting, when he heard the whirring sound of multiple Z.Z. Flyers approaching. Reinforcements. Good timing.

The two adult Rangers stopped gathering up the fallen Pinchers and got ready to fight some more, but something passed by the two of them so fast that they were struck had. They dropped to their knees and fell where they stood and they didn't get back up. The children were subdued just as easily, and they too collapsed into the snow with a soft thud.

Red Eyes trudged through the snow to meet the perpetrator, affronting the newcomer with a grimace. He didn't like this man, co-worker or not.

"Why are you here, Purple Eyes?"

"Me?" The man smiled, running a head through his purple hair. "To help you, of course. You seemed to have a lot of trouble, so I'm just giving you a little hand."

"You dolt," Red Eyes didn't hold back. "Are you trying to humiliate me?!"

"On the contrary," he said. "I'm just here by his orders."

Their superior? This wasn't good.

"What did he say?" the blond's voice simmered to a low murmur.

"You're not going to wake up the next bird. I am."

That hurt. Just a little bit.

"Is that all?" Red Eyes asked further. "No other orders?"

"He said clean up matters and return back to base. You'll be fortifying the base from now on."

Fortify the base, Red Eyes thought bitterly. At least it wasn't getting killed in a sunken submarine. He was still useful, unlike Blue Eyes.

"You should be thankful I came to save you," the purple haired man reminded him. Red Eyes despised how Purple Eyes made it clear that the two of them were different. Blue Eyes never came to care about being better than either of them, so the rivalry remained between just the two men in the upper ranks. The man was everything better than Red Eyes, more loyal, more agile, more powerful.

"You know those two?"

Purple Eyes glanced pointedly at the adult Rangers who were unconscious.

"Yeah, what of it?"

"They're not really human, you know. They've been through the 'Gauntlet.'"

"Like you?"

"Precisely. The boy has been through the same, but he's not nearly as strong as those two."

That made a lot more sense now, even if he understood little of matters like human experiments and the gods.  
>"Well, they're still out of it, so you should leave as soon as possible. I'll leave some Flyers in your stead."<p>

"Appreciated," Red Eyes said as Purple Eyes turned on him and hopped back into his own personal Flyer, and zoomed away with the rest of his team. He then took to getting each of his Pinchers to wake up. This proved easy since some of them were already awake, just unable to bring themselves to move from exhaustion. They clambered into the Flyers and flew ahead of him. He was to go last.

He was about to take off, when he heard the crunch of snow behind him. Red Eyes frozen where he stood, fearing that the adult Rangers were awake and were going to keep him. But a slow turn of his head brought him not to the redhead, or the woman, but the boy. Ben. He wouldn't forget his name, ever since they met at Daybreak Ruins.

The boy could do nothing to stop him. He was tired, even if he was "special", as Purple Eyes had told him. Ben only watched him helplessly, his eyes following to his hands on the Z.Z. Flyer. Red Eyes could really kill him, and the rest of his team here. But he respected them as worthy opponents and fought back the thought.

"Never forget, all of us Pinchers originally worked alone," He said absently to the boy. "Our last fight will always be one-on-one. Ben... There is one thing I can't get past. Even though I am stronger than you, I have lost to you so many times."  
>"And I to you," Ben croaked, his throat likely dry from the trip uphill. "I'm only lucky."<p>

"Ha," Red Eyes amused himself. "You're pretty spirited for being so young. Maybe you could say... It wasn't luck…"

He liked this boy, a good reminder of how he used to be when he was still a unwitting child in the streets of Orre. It was a shame he lost the opportunity to see him… to perhaps see Morgan…

"Red Eyes…"

"Ben…" Red Eyes continued. "Do you remember the day when I sent you hurtling into the ocean from the clouds? At that time I honestly thought that you were a weakling. But now it's different. You two... You bravely sneaked into the Pincher's submarine, silenced that insolent Blue Eyes, faced treacherous volcanoes and mountains without complaint, and then you me admit defeat. You're really something."

"If you want," Ben suggested. "Why not join us? Blue Eyes misses you, Kenneth Sullivan."

Red Eyes frowned at the mention of such a name he hadn't heard in a long time.

"How much did you hear?"

"Not much… You know what I am, do you?"

Red Eyes ignored the boy's answer and mounted his Flyer.

"I reject your offer," he said. "Your home is not a place for someone whose pride is as shattered as mine. So long."

"Wait, Red Eyes!"

Ben's pleas were drowned out by the roar of the main engine of the Flyer, and Red Eyes flew away, not daring to look the boy in the eye again.

* * *

><p>Ben honestly couldn't really say much else, other than that he was amazed. Cocona Village had become an entire wonderland of lights and rainbow streamers all over the streets. The main streets were lined with local vendors who were hosting typical carnival games or selling some special treats native to the islands. All the young women were dressed in printed robes, each befitting to her own character, and they wandered about the squares pointing at any sharply dressed young men in the vicinity. Little children in smaller robes were running about, excitedly talking about the upcoming challenge or something.<p>

He didn't understand why he had robes set out for him and the rest of the house until an excited Nema explained to him. Today marked another yearly Rainbow Festival, apparently to celebrate the estimated day that the Hero of Oblivia and his trusted companions saved Oblivia, and by extension, the world. Just when the islands were about to fall into turmoil at the hands of Pinchers launching birds into the sky, the villages decided a party would be the best way to end.

The young Ranger wanted to protest, but Murph waved off the concern, abusing his power as his superior to tell him to relax after such a big mission. Kate and Keith agreed with the man, surprisingly when the two of then were most unsure if the Pinchers were truly done. He told them how he woke up earlier than everyone else and remembered Red Eyes in conversation with a stranger he couldn't see well about how they knew he, Keith, and Kate were not normal, and that Red Eyes was going to retreat back to his base, presumably to not pursue the birds anymore. Summer and Rand took his account word for word and eagerly accepted it. The two other Rangers, Blue Eyes, too, were unconvinced. Yet here they all were, partying.

"Hey, Ben," Summer stepped in front of him. "You want to go and do something?"

"What?" Ben blinked, his eyes settled on the strawberry blonde. She was dressed like the others, in a pink dress robe Leanne lent to her, and her short hair was adorned with some very eye-catching flower pins. The sight was breathtaking, especially when she never wore another dress ever since they graduated from the Academy.

"Come on!" Her enthusiasm wasn't making him focus any better. "It's our last night here, so let's do something worthwhile!"

"If you want to do something worthwhile," Ben approached them, dressed in teal robes. "I suggest the stage at the square. They host dances every five minutes with nice music, and there's a big event in an hour or so."

"I'd recommend that big event," Ice joined in. "It's actually one of the main highlights of this festival."

"That's great!" Summer beamed and grabbed Ben's hand. "Come on, let's go to the games first!"

Ben's cheeks turns bright pink upon her overly friendly gesture, "O-Okay!"

Everyone watched as the two young Rangers bounded away from them off to the brightest lane of the festival grounds in the town. Basil and Ice exchanged fleeting glances before heading off to their own favorite part of the festival while Nema was needlessly tugging at her father's sleeve, wanting to go to play the games as well.

"Well," Rand suggested. "Shouldn't you be going after Ben and Summer? They're already there."

"But I can't!" Nema grinned devilishly. "I can't disturb their date!"

Rand raised an eyebrow, the dense man he was, and Murph stepped in to avoid any further problems. Blue Eyes lingered nervously behind, still embarrassed from Murph's earlier comments on her dress.

"Morgan and I'll be happy to take Nema to the carnival over there," the chief of the Union smiled. "Just relax with your wife at this festival. You deserve it."

Rand gave a small pause before nodding respectfully, "Thank you, Murph."

"No prob."

"Let's go already, Murph!" Nema was tugging at his sleeve now. "Look, the line's getting longer!"

"All right, kiddo," Murph laughed, and they headed off to the booths while Rand rejoined Leanne who was standing at the end. She also dressed for the occasion, and Rand remembered the time they first met on this very island on this very day.

The two links arms together and proceeded into the grounds. Rand suddenly remembered something and looked around himself.

"Where'd those two go?"

"Oh, Kate and Keith?" Leanne smiled. "They went off on their own. You know how they feel."

* * *

><p>The sound of the cheering and laughing was distant to the elusive duo of Rangers who wandered out of the festival to the end of the town jutting right over the quiet sea. The wooden floorboards creaked under the soles of their shoes, all hidden under the folds of their traditional robes. A Buizel and a Staravia perched upon the rails of the gazebo, pointing excitedly at the occasional fish that leapt out of the mostly still water.<p>

"I usually stay out here on these festivals," she spoke up. "No one really comes here, not when there's so much to do back there."

Kate stood at the end of the gazebo, which was illuminated by some colors lanterns at its pillars. The decorating committee left no stone unturned when preparing for the Rainbiw Festival, regardless of whether people would go to that place or not.

Keith looked around, and with little hesitation, he gave a small smirk.

"I like it. Has a nice Oriental feel. Reminds me of Kanto."

"Of course, only you would be a sucker for festivals," Kate said as she stood beside him in a blue robe. She had willingly allowed Leanne to play with her hair that evening. Now it was pinned up the same way she had done before a long time ago the last time they attended a formal event together, but this time her hair was done more elaborately with minimal decorative hair clips added. Too many flowers would detract from the nice shade of her hair, Leanne had said. Needless to say, Keith was pleased when he first saw her come through the gate an hour earlier. He too donned some dark robes of his own and he did well to comb his hair a little better than usual.

They stood together in silence, not in an awkward sense, but more of understanding. They were happy to be here to make up for all the lost hours they didn't spend together for the past few years.

Keith reached out and brushed her fingers, and she welcomed him, as they continued to stand, their fingers intertwined.

"There's more," Keith stated to her. "We're not done yet."

"No, we aren't," Kate agreed. "The Pinchers will reconvene in another few days. This would be too easy if they gave up like that. You remember how we didn't make it out of there conscious."

"Right," Keith easily found her hand. "But why are we not saying this to Ben and Summer?"

"They're young," Kate explained. "We're up against the lowest end of the shady bunch. It's not time for them to go up against this. I wish they'd be able to go back to the Union while we stay here to finish the operation, but they'll come back if they know."

"Such persistent kids, those two," Keith said, using the time to wrap an arm around her. Kate leaned into the contact unconsciously.

"I hope they don't give us hell for not telling them about this."

"They won't. They trust us enough to know how bad this is."

"Heh," she chuckled. "Terribly optimistic as always. Nothing ever gets you down."

"Well, where would we be without me? You always looked like you wanted to kill someone back at the Union."

"Oh, don't you start."

Keith looked aside at Kate, and noticed that she was frowning, as usual. She looked up at the hand-crafted lanterns with those blue eyes, lost in thought.

"It'll only get dangerous from here, you know."

"Well, of course," He snorted. "Poachers and mafia? What wouldn't go horribly wrong?"

"Well, I'm concerned about what those Pinchers could do. We know little about their purpose up to this point, and we are mostly likely playing into their hands. Lots of things can go wrong. And with that attack on the mountains, I'm sure this has something to do with Project Black Water. More importantly, how are we going to deal with the civilians if things go wrong, or of we're using the Emblem Signs? Honestly, I don't even know where to start."

"Well, make a list. Be sure to present them at the meeting."

She playfully punched him. "Since when were you my superior? I don't take orders from you."

"I'm one rank above you technically," he teased. "I stayed at the Union and worked for that. You're my rival, remember? Not to mention, I'm at the top of the chain of command in the Union, under Murph and the professor. You just happened to drop out, so you're going to have start at Rank 0 if you come back."

"Show-off," Kate looked away to hide her embarrassment. "Still, I can't stop wondering... What about our plans to reinstate me as a Ranger? What if the public sees me? Or us?"

Keith wanted to laugh at her perplexed face when she asked that. It was that one face that she made when she thought too hard about something. He could only guess that she's been around Nick for too long and somehow caught on to his negativity issues...

"You worry too much," Keith sighed and he pulls her into a hug. "I thought you didn't care about things like that."

"I don't," She answered. "I'm more concerned if I can get the board to believe me and get me reinstated in the first place, even if you 'acquitted' me."

"This is the Rainbow Festival," he whispered into her ear. "This isn't a festival for being sad. Let's just savor this bit of peace while we can."

Kate buried her face into his shoulder as approval, and they continued to stand still in the gazebo as the lanterns flickered around them.

* * *

><p>Ben woke up lying on his stomach on a crowded couch with Summer taking up most of the space. They were sensible to change out of their fancy robes in favor for night clothes. The living room wasn't that bad of a mess, save for the one too many used bottles of beer lined on the glass table. Ice and Basil were on one couch, sound asleep, and Murph had an entire chair to himself. Rand and his family were nowhere to be found, and Kate and Keith weren't in the room either. He knew that none of them were fond of beer, and avoided the substance, unlike Murph and Booker.<p>

"Good morning!" Nick chirped as he entered the living room with a tray of cups, stirring Murph and the others awake. "Everyone kept going until really late last night, didn't they?"

"Yeah," Ben shrugged as he climbed out of the couch. Even though he didn't drink at all, his head felt heavy from sleeping uncomfortably for an entire night. "Have you seen Rand and his family?"

"Rand went to go fix the Wireless Tower early in the morning," Nick answered, offering him a glass of warm milk. "He's quite a hard worker, working after the party. Still, he looked like he was having lots if fun last night."

"He sure was."

Nick examined the young Ranger plaintively. "With you and Summer, things are sure looking a bit lonesome. You guys are leaving Oblivia soon, right?"

"Yeah," Ben answered just as hollowly. Murph had declared the mission finished after the meeting two nights ago, and he told Ben that he was to return back to Almia on the next flight out with Summer, on a proper plane this time, not a Staraptor. Murph and Keith would supposedly move out a week after, since they still had to fix up loose ends on the security and the maintenance of the Wireless Tower as well as the territory for extra signs of the Pinchers. Supposedly.

His thoughts aside, a Styler was ringing loudly in the quiet room, and he heard Summer react immediately to the sound, her hand slapping against the button to turn on the receiver.

"Wirelessly?" He heard her mutter. "Who is it?"

"Ben, Summer, can you hear me?" Keith's baritone made everyone's blood go cold. "We have a problem. Report back to Basil's apartment with whoever is awake."

* * *

><p>"Claydol's judgement will come to you, who would defile these ruins. Claydol, I summon thee!"<p>

The armored individual waved his arms in a unique formation, and the second he finished, the Pokemon he called came forth and relentlessly shot everything in sight with psychic attacks. Ben could have sworn he'd have died if he hadn't moved away in time.

Just when he thought Pinchers were easy to handle, they had to bring out Steelhead. He and Kate were of course surprised that someone could bring back to life old equipment on people who could only speak in old grammar. All this to keep them from getting to an archaeologist and her daughter? He was questioning the enemy's choices, and gave a quick glance to his Pichu, who was calming down the Claydol as the Houndour he had captured on the way was trying to weaken it so he could capture. He ducked under another one of the Psychic attack and struck the Steelhead in the head, knocking the man out effectively. He didn't bother to help the Steelhead and moved on to the next set of armor. His heart stopped when a blade was plunged into the gaps between the armor, drawing blood.

These men were dead, the young Ranger tried to cope with it. These men were already dead. He shouldn't be sympathizing with them, nor should he try to help them since they were beyond saving, no longer human. Just that one time when they subdued one of the Steelheads did Kate pry the helmet off to reveal an already mangled face beyond recognition. He fought the urge to cough up the remnants of a breakfast he had. These Steelhead armor weren't as kind to its users as it had been in the past. It was a death wish.

Kate was merciless today. Ben remembered how she had emerged from the apartment armed to the teeth: two swords, a pair of guns, a set of knives, almost anything that could enable a human to kill. When she learned that the Pinchers were so brazen enough to invade and vandalize her little brother's home, even kidnap its residents, she wasn't happy in the slightest and went straight for her own quarters, which had thankfully had not been compromised by this "Purple Eyes" who had left a note for them, though it held more significance to the ex-Ranger than anyone else.

"I should have known," Kate muttered under her breath. "He was there. Damn him."

Keith wasn't as terrible as Kate had acted, but the situation was so dire to the redhead that he donned the white gloves that worked miracles with fire. The Ranger was setting people on fire with the snap of his fingers, and Ben was thankful the Oblivian Ruins had ventilation, otherwise everyone would die of suffocation from the smoke that wafted out of the charred corpses.

They fought their way down to the lower floors of the ruins, meeting more masses of Steelhead (where did these guys come from?). Their little team finally reached the end of the road where a large pair of red doors stood between them. The Steelhead guarding the area got ready to fight and summoned more Claydol.

"Impure ones who defile these ruins, leave this place at once!"

The Claydol launched a psychic attack at them, but Kate threw a Pokeball at the attack directly, and a Bastidon landed on the ground with a resounding boom, shielding them.

"Disobeying us…" The Steelhead snarled, if they could even express any frustration. "Fearless fools- Aghhhh!"

The armored men were consumed by spontaneous flames, and they fell the ground, the smell of burned flesh still fresh in everyone's noses. They watched in silence as the enemy's movement slowed to a dull quiver, then nothing.

And then a scream. A woman. Behind those red doors. Ben and Summer were quick to react, and they were at the large handles of the doors, trying to pull them open, but to no avail.

"Purple Eyes!" Leanne was crying. "I've told you everything you wanted to know. Now release Nema! Release my Nema just like you promised!"

"How rude of me…" A voice Ben vaguely remembered reverberated through the door and the empty halls outside. "I forgot to thank you for the interview. I'm grateful for your cooperation Professor Leanne. However, we still haven't deciphered all the murals yet. I will still need your help for more things, Professor Leanne."

"Open up, damnit!" Summar rammed on the doors. "Damnit! Let go of Nema and Leanne! Bastards! You let both of them go!"

"Move."

Summer and Ben looked around, and Kate glared past them and at the door, and she took out another Pokeball, a Machomp appearing beside the Bastidon. Keith gave a quick motion for them to move aside, and the two young Rangers did as they were told.

"Together?" Keith said, looking at Kate. His hands seemed to tremble from excitement, and fear.

"Yeah…" Kate frowned, and her hands fell upon the hilt of her sheathed sword. She will be using hands now. "It can't be helped."  
>They tore down the doors, with an explosion of flames and crumbled rock. Bastidon charged right through and skidded to a stop, nearly crashing into the decorated walls of a mural arranged across the walls. Kate and Keith didn't stop their momentum as they took out every single person in the room, Ben and Summer following after quietly to clean up after their seniors' messes by capturing the Pokemon that still were standing and letting them go. The quick fight died down when Kate drew out her sword again and had the tip aimed at the chest of the impressed Purple Eyes. Ben was slowly recognizing that this was who Red Eyes had talked to on the moutains…<p>

"Leanne!" Summer called out to the woman who was lying on the ground clutching her stomach, and ran to help her to her feet and get her as far away as they could from the man who tried to harm her. Ben followed suit and carried Nema away. She seemed to have hurt her ankle during her kidnapping and was not able to walk.

"So, admirably, you manage to take back both hostages," Purple Eyes was in conversation with Kate, who didn't back down from her threatening blade.

"Why are you here?" Kate demanded, "Did the family back in Orre toss you aside?"

"You're still with those softies?" Purple Eyes chortled. "I guess times do change. It's simple, Kate. I happened to get a better deal doing this than the oddjobs back in Orre. I was even going to suggest you for a position, too."

Kate swung a sword at him, blade running through fabric and painting the shirt red. Purple Eyes staggered backwards and clutched his wounded chest. The ex-Ranger the grabbed him by the collar and pulled him closer by a rough yank.

"Then you're coming back with us," she snarled. "Since you proclaim to be the 'true' leader of your little poacher gang."

"True leader?" Ben spoke up. The purple haired man laughed at his confused expression.

"Heh, you must be the special boy Red Eyes complained about," he eyed him hungrily. "Well, I guess you were able to give big Red Eyes and Blue Eyes trouble. But I'll warn you. The true leader the Pokemon Pinchers is only me... I'm leading my team now and proceeding with my own plan."

"Your plan?" Summer gasped.

"Of course," the man's grin widened. "Since I used both Blue Eyes and Red Eyes so well, I'm very close to achieving my goal. Of course, Blue Eyes couldn't fulfill her duties as well as I thought, so... I fired her. Red Eyes was more competent, but I no longer need him for this operation."

He grabbed Kate's wrist, but she responded with a harsh kick that sent him flying backward. The walls of the ruins shook when he landed on his back, and he laughed at her, getting up as if that kick was nothing.

"Ah, well," he shrugged. "I am disappointed that we lost the hostages, but we already obtained the necessary information for furthering my plan. Thanks to that archaeologists concern for her daughter, anyway. That being said, our ways are flight I part here, so in the end, I'll show you the finest entertainment."

He held out his own Gauntlet, and out came a Garchomp whose roars echoed in the murals. Kate tried to run after him, but he was already heading for a single use trapdoor that Ben didn't expect would even be there. Kate attempted to break the walls to get to him, but to no avail.

"Come back here, Purple Eyes!"

"Kate, now's not the time!" Keith called to her, and he sent his Buizel at the Garchomp, combined with her Bastidon and Machomp. "We've got more problems to deal with first!"


	26. Chapter 26

**Tracks of Light**

**Chapter 26**

* * *

><p>"They're after Latios again?! You've got to be fucking kidding me!"<p>

Summer was almost done with everything that had gone done this day. All this such a fun night at a festival, no less! She had been too sure that the Pinchers were not going to come back so strongly as they had today, and she was looking forward to getting home, too. And now this.

"Let's pursue it," Ben suggested, and led his Staraptor above the clouds.

This time she as alone with him and Koa. Kate and Keith stayed behind to assess the damage on Basil's house, which had been trashed in the more major rooms. Kate feared that the house could still be a hazardous area, knowing how Purple Eyes worked. Rand had been injured severely when Leanne was kidnapped, and he was not going to walk out of the house for the next week. And so, an utterly exhausted Murph then sent the two of them out to pursue the next destination - Mt. Layuda.

Apparently, Purple Eyes brought Leanne to the ruins in Oblivia to get an accurate translation of the runes that were carved so meticulously into the ceiling and around the murals. After much resistance, the poor woman eventually gave in, and told him as much as she knew.

When Leanne retold her interpretation to everyone, Kate was even more surprised than ever that the ruins had even greater meaning that what she had in her own archives. In fact, it was worse than what she knew. Sitting in the photos Leanne took was a carving of a fortress, plain as day, one that had once brought disaster to the world. Why the Pinchers needed the power of an old ancient weapon to destroy the world made little sense to anyone.

"They're after Zapdos," Leanne had told them. "I didn't think they'd bother to find that bird. It rests in Mt. Layuda where there's pretty bad thunderstorms. No plane or bird Pokemon can really cross, and I doubt the Pinchers would be able to make it on a regular Z.Z. Flyer."

"They have Purple Eyes," Kate argued. "With him on their side, anything's possible."

Kate wouldn't stop talking about that man if she ever spoke at all. Apparently, from what Summer could gather, the woman had known him from her time in Orre, and they weren't on good terms. Nothing more was said of him other than that he was dangerous and that Ben should be careful when dealing with him, to which the Ranger agreed. Now they were off to find a way to get to Mt. Layuda on one clue she left them - Latios.

"Nice!" A Pincher laughed as she kept shooting at the said Pokemon. "This is looking good! It's getting weaker and weaker!"

"It's given us a pretty hard time, but it ends now!" Another said. "Let's hit at with our Plasma Cannons at the same time!"

"Not so fast!"

Summer led her Staraptor around the Pinchers and flew in between them and the Latios. Everyone stopped moving and stared in horror or surprise.

"Rangers again!" One of the Pinchers tossed his hands up on the air in defeat. "Right at the best part! We only had a little left to go, and it's going to get away!"

"You three, go after the Pokemon while we delay the Rangers!" Two of them hollered. "Stop it before it goes back to that island and recover its ability to fly! Don't let it get away!"  
>"Hey! Wait!" Summer yelled after the three who broke off from the group. "Come back here!"<p>

She turned to fly after them, but stood still when a laser was fired right next to her.

"Your opponents are here," one of the Pinchers said. "We've learned a little from you Rangers, and now we embrace the importance of teamwork! I'll remind you how greater it is to plunge to your death!"

Drifloon and Drifblim emerged from the clouds and were aiming directly at Summer. The Ranger gritted her teeth and urged her Staraptro to spiral up and out of the way of a wave of psychic attacks, and she attempted to capture them as a whole group. It was difficult, but with enough concentration…

The Drifblim weren't fooled so easily and they shot upward, and she lost her focus and had to dodge. Just when she was so close! This was getting on her nerves by the minute.

"Summer!"

Ben swooped down to the mass, and released his Capture Disc at one half of swarm. He finished it in just one loop before throwing a look at her, waiting for her to finish her part. Summer proceeded and captured her own share, and they released the Drifblim and their younger counterparts back to the sky where they belonged.

"We may lost the fight," The Pinchers weren't frustrated, however. "but we still bought time!"

Ben didn't save a comment for them when he turned round and shot off in the direction where Latios had gone along with the other Pinchers pursuing it. Summer followed after him, ignoring the taunts of the Pinchers behind them and into a mass of fog from the clouds. She tugged on the straps of her googles to make sure they weren't loose. This wasn't going to be pretty for sure.

"After it!"

"Where the fuck is it?"

"Damnit, we had it!"

The voices of distraught Pinchers were not a good sign. Summer attempted to find them through the sounds of their voices, but that didn't work either. She couldn't even find Ben. Where was he?

"Aghhhhh!"

"Hey, Chr- Augh!"

Something was crackling with electricity and around her were the faint lights of explosions occurring in rapid succession. She was confused in this fog, wondering who it was defeating them? Ben? Latios? The two of them? What was going on?

"Ben!" She called for him, but no one answered. How awkward, if he was off defeating Pinchers, too busy to answer her.

Summer jerked her Staraptor away and they flew closer to where one of the explosions had occurred, and came across nothing. Of course those Pinchers wouldn't be here, she scolded herself. They were probably sitting in the ocean below, possibly to drown if no one came after them.

She only wanted to confirm if it had been Latios or even Ben who destroyed these Z.Z. Flyers. Most of her worry lied on Ben especially. Most of their life alongside each other, Summer understood that Ben had his own problems. He was one of the few survivors of that kidnapping incident several years ago when Team Dim Sun was at large. The fact he came back with any sort of sanity of all was amazing, only that he woke up breaking everything he held in his bare hands. The term was never explained properly to Summer, and all she knew was that her friend was experimented on successfully and now he was basically a superhero, able to lift things two times his weight, to run faster than the average person, and to take more hits than a slab of meat. He wasn't normal, and she knew it. Hastings knew it. Honestly, she and countless Top Rangers were only paired with Ben so often because the professor was cautious about Ben's state of mind and his new abilities. This didn't seem to go wrong at all, since Ben hadn't ever slipped up ever since she and Ben worked together.

But once in a while she feared Ben would forget he was not normal, and someday he'd let loose and, like a monster, destroy everything. She knew how Keith and Kate turned out, and even then their reaction to being experimented on weren't pretty, from what she learned in old logs and reports…

"Summer."

"Huh?" The girl spun around and nearly fell off her Pokemon partner. "Ben!?"

"Yeah," he replied curtly. "Let's go below. So Latios can finally rest it's wings."

"Right."

Ben's Styler rung soon after.

"Yes?"

"It's Murph!"

Ben blinked unresponsively. "We've found the Latios, but we've lost it. The Pinchers scared it away."

"Already?" their boss massaged his tired neck. "Okay, then I've got some coordinates from you. Kate left them with me before she and Keith left Basil's place."

"Coordinates?" Summer spoke up. "Where to?"

"Uh, some small island, if that's I remember. I think Latios rests there, and there's some interesting stuff there, too. Runes, I think?"

"The location points to Tilikule Island," Ben received the coordinates and punched them into the navigational system. "Give us a minute. We'll be there soon."

* * *

><p>They landed safely on a rather small island that could only be the size of half a sports stadium, littered with nondescript plants and perhaps an occasional palm tree on the far corners of this islet.<p>

"This is Tilikule Island?" Summer was far from impressed. "It's really tiny. Now, I wonder where Latios could be."

"Well, these are the coordinates," Ben shrugged. "We'll have to trust Kate's judgment for now."

His Styler rung again.

"Ben speaking."

"Ben and Summer," Kate's voice resonated out of the speakers. "I trust that you are on Tillikule Island?"

"Yeah," Ben replied quickly. "What do you need us to find here?"

"It's in front of you. Take a few steps to the east."

Sure enough, there was something to be found. Ben was surprised that it could be here. And Involith stood there in full glory, though aged by the green moss building up on its sides.

"This... Is the same type of monument as the one in Daybreak Ruins."

"Correct," Kate continued. "That should be the Involith that contains the sign to summon Latios."

"An Involith?" Summer asked skeptically. "But this monument doesn't have any of those emblems."

"Did you really think an elusive Pokemon like Latios was easy to catch? You should find something else than an emblem on that thing. Ben, touch the Involith, you should find something that could be a clue as to get Latios's emblem."

Ben reached forward and felt the relieved holes on the stone.

"You're right," he confirmed. "There are a series of holes carved into it."

"All right, can you send the position of those points to Keith?"

"Can do."

A pause fell over the communications line, only interrupted by the concerned mutter and offside conversation. He jumped when Kate directed her attention to him again.

"Ben, take a look at the picture you sent here."

He looked at his inbox, with Summer and Koa peering over his shoulder, and he was shocked by the results. Summer, ever the faster one, spoke up.

"I've got it!" She exclaimed. "This represents the islands of Oblivia! Five marks had been carved into it, and the upper left one is Tilikule Island, where we are now... I wonder what these marks could mean."

"Well, wait no further, kids," Leanne interrupted the link.

"Leanne?!" Summer voiced her surprise. "I thought you were still recovering!"

"As if a punch to my stomach would keep me down," Ben could feel the woman's smirk through the radio. "Anyways, that emblem you just found ties in with one of Oblivia's legends. In the story, there is a poem that alludes strongly to Latios."

"So we're on the mark," Ben said. "But how do we complete the emblem?"

"It was written in the legend that even the Hero of Oblivia had difficulty getting Latios's help," Leanne narrated. "Its Emblem is shaped from the lines that connect five small monuments in different parts of Oblivia. I've seen only three of those monuments. They were on Dolce, Sophian, and Faldera Island. Here should be two more, but this is just a legend. It's not like we have any other options."

"Oh, that's it!" Summer brightened at the realization. "The marks on the map are referring to the locations of the monument!"

"If Leanne's interpretation is correct," Kate took control. "Keith and I have already found one of those 'monuments' on Faldera Island. I believe it needs to be activated simultaneously with the other monuments to work."

"So we're going to have to split up?"

"Yes," Kate said. "Ben, I'm sending you to recover the monument on Sophian Island. Basil and Ice are on their way to Dolce Island. Keith is already off to the find the one possibly on Mitatonga Island. Murph is already trying to figure out where the other monuments are, so we'll give you information on that later."

* * *

><p>If there was anything to ever be amazed of, it had to be Kate's tendency to take the show for herself and take command of things. Ben had heard stories that she never liked to be the leader of any of their operations, but after the success of Operation Brighton and the fact that she spearheaded the infiltration of Altru Tower, she was always placed on the forefront of any mission she took part in. He could tell that she was always reluctant in these positions.<p>

He remembered how quiet she was when she moved back into their lives, only assisting when she had to, but somehow her mere presence exuded authority, and everyone would step aside to let her take the reins. Ben guessed that this was just a curse for her, since she was so well known and devote to her job, people just looked to her for advice and counsel since she had the most experience out of anyone. Keith could rival her in leadership power, but he imagined that his mentor would back away from how intimidating the woman was if they ever had to compete for a position to lead.

But leadership came naturally to Kate, whether she liked it or not. Only her strict tone and voice could get them to do whatever needed to be done. The coordinated planning was what got all five monuments found so easily (though Murph contributed on relaying information to others while she was busy). She gave them instructions, and they delivered. And quite wonderfully at that.

The activation of the monuments proved easy once they had found all of them. The search had been somewhat difficult, considering that some of the locations weren't easy to find. Basil and Ice were first to find theirs, and the rest of other monument discoveries followed soon after. Finding a primitive version of a button lit the monuments a fiery blue as distinct star-like shape appeared briefly in the sky before imprinting itself in Ben's mind. The sign was immediately registered, and the work was done.

"Summon Latios and continue the mission," Kate commanded him. "Pick up Summer from Tilikule Island for backup."

"Understood."

Latios was one of the fastest to ever come to his call. The Eon Pokemon appeared at his side with a short gust of wind that made Koa jump. It eyed him warily at first, recognizing him as one of the flyers in the sky, but he eventually coaxed it into allowing to be petted on the head. Finally comfortable with allowing passengers, Latios bowed its head to let him climb on.

The flight on a Latios compared to that of a Staraptor was like exchanging a reasonably-priced sedan for a trillion-dollar Rolls Royce. No small bobbling from the fair unsteadiness of a bird. No noise from flapping wings. Everything seemed so streamlined, reminding him faintly of the well-crafted jets that Basil had showed him one time at a local exhibition back in Altru's highly anticipated technology conventions.

Even he couldn't forget the look of pure shock on Summer's face when arrived a little too early for her liking. After a few questions on why he came twenty minutes earlier than he should have, she wordlessly mounted the Pokemon behind and was left to marvel at the efficiency of this flight. The enthusiasm faded when they approached Mt. Layuda, and the rest of the trip was Koa clinging to his coat and Summer screaming at the top of her lungs every time a bolt of lightning struck too close to them. He had learned very soon into their partnership back in Almia that Summer was terrified of thunderstorms, and when he was given Kate's command to take his friend with him, he wondered if he should let the woman know about her tactlessness. That is, if he could overcome that intimidating aura Kate had around her at most times.

The landing was less than legendary when Latios barely escaped the lightning that hits tail, still causing the poor thing pain. They crashed and flew off the Eon Pokemon's back, bouncing painfully onto the ground. Ben took care that he landed on his back first so he wouldn't crush Koa with his weight. He groaned at the throbbing pain that shot through his body when he tried to get up, but he looked in horror at the telling corpses of a Z.Z. Flyers strewn across the dust, the electronics fried and if he wanted to sicken himself, perhaps the hint of an actual body.

"Looks like they made it successfully," Summer commented grimly, looking at the damage. But they didn't get here first. Purple Eyes got here first, Ben thought dismally. He remembered that Kate's warning about Purple Eyes. It had been quite a while since they've talked about his extra abilities. In fact, he had been taking things easy since he never had to use them since their trip back from the past. She implicitly warned him that he would have to resort to them against this new opponent. She didn't even object to his incredible assumption that Purple Eyes could also be a product of Project Black Water.

He was predictably afraid of what he might have to do in order to win. After what had happened on Mt. Sorbet, Ben was sure that Purple Eyes would do anything to win, perhaps even take Summer hostage and dangle her by the throat in front of him to see that he couldn't touch the man even if he tried. Summer as a hostage again. He didn't want that. Especially not after all the trouble had to go through without her.

Ben let Summer go ahead of him as they went through a smaller entrance into the cave. He never considered much though for Summer now that they spent more time together than they ever did when Murph grouped the two together on joint missions back in Almia. To him, she was a pleasant girl who understood that he preferred distance in all matters personal, and she never asked for anything from him unless he saw it fit to tell her.

For once in his life, Ben realized that he was considering how largely dependent he was on her to beside him. He preferred her company over anyone else's whenever he could whenever it was just the two of them working together in Almia. Whenever they went their own ways, or when Summer was captured, he handled himself just fine, only that he didn't feel as confident in himself as he would have been if Summer was there. It was a matter of delicate trust that was required of a pair of Rangers working together, and he could vaguely tell that she was just as attached to him as he was to her. Ben was sure that she was this, otherwise, she wouldn't have willingly agreed to a mission as risky as this, and she would have requested Hastings to take her off the mission and suggest an older Ranger instead. He had to admire her dedication to keeping their partnership instead of her possibly safety (since when had being a Ranger been safe?). She trusted him somehow.

His comfort faded when he realized she was only blindly pursuing him. Summer knew little of the true extent of his abilities, the products of what he had become after being treated in Project Black Water, for being the only successful thing to come out of that batch of dead students. He was aware that she knew the vague details, but not once did she ask even further about his condition, especially since such information was only known by those in upper command. He wondered what would happen if he truly did go fully out on this mission, and if she saw him. The haunting image of her ashen face stopped him from thinking even further.

He stopped when Summer stopped, and mirrored her step back to hide behind the corner, just barely missing the wary eyes of a pair of Pinchers confronting a pond. Considering this was Mt. Layuda, walking into the water was an instant death wish.

"Going any further is madness!" The first Pincher cried. "Lightning is crackling like crazy!"

"Why worry?" the other drawled, not paying attention to his friend. "Just be my lightning rod, and I'll be fine."

The response sounded scandalized. "How can you still crack jokes? I can't take any more of this, my knees are knocking."

Ben wanted to make their appearance less known. If Purple Eyes knew they were already on the island, he won't send reinforcements after them. He was aware by now that since Blue Eyes and Red Eyes have effectively lost their positions, and therefore their power over the organization, Purple Eyes had command of perhaps triple the size of the other two leaders' teams.

He peeled Koa off his shoulder and set him gently in Summer's hands. The little Pokemon stared back at him dejectedly, as if parting with him for just a moment would be deadly. It hurt him a little more now that Summer wore the same expression. She was still a little shaken from the electrifying flight earlier, even though she seemed like she had regrouped herself earlier.

"Stay back, and I won't take long," he whispered to Summer as he headed out quietly out of the hiding place. His footsteps were masked by the distant thunder roaring above their heads, and his hit was just too easy. The second Pincher didn't react when he had struck the first one in a sensitive point to knock him out. With this, he called out Summer and Koa, and the two of them pulled the two Pinchers back into the cave and left them sitting up against the wall to rest for now. Leaving them outside a place so dangerous would be impolite.

Ben had taken care to remove their Gauntlets and release the Pokemon from them. Nema and Blue Eyes had taught almost everyone how to use the Gauntlets and reverse its inventory so the Pokemon captured could be released. It worked in the same fashion as the typical Styler (Kate supposed that perhaps the creator was formerly an employee of the Union), and out came a Hipopotas and a Swinub. Much to his luck, these Pokemon were native to this island, and he wouldn't have to deal with relocating them.

The rest of the climb up was rather uneventful with the predictable presence of Steelheads. Ben avoided them as much as he could, perhaps knocking out a few. Even if he should, he couldn't bring himself to kill them as easily as Kate and Keith could. His only real target was Purple Eyes and those closest to him. And even if he was sparing them, he knew that Kate was not as harsh as she seemed when dealing with him and would put his merciful behavior past them.

* * *

><p>"Lord Purple Eyes," A Steelhead came to address him on his little pedestal of a rock among the rocks. "Zapdos should wake up momentarily."<p>

Purple Eyes nodded vaguely in approval of the report and watched the armored husk of a man walk away from him. He found it jarring how easily these men and women lost all sense of human emotion and self-preservation the moment they put a simple helmet on, but it wasn't that he cared for their well-being. No, not at all, he'd confidently say. They willingly gave up their lives to his plans and his higher ups' plans. They had no say in the matter of how comfortable their service to him would be.

When he was made privy to the grand scheme that his higher ups had created, he was intrigued, no, ecstatic that he was honored with such knowledge. His goals lied in favor with theirs, and this opportunity to advance his own agenda had become too easy. He had to say that he must thank the Rangers for forcing them to accelerate their plans. Now that the bird trio had awoken in wake of the supposed "apocalypse", that great fortress that the legend had spoken of would be theirs. Or his, if he could help it. And maybe then, he could finally meet-

"Stop right there, Purple Eyes!"

A new voice.

The smile didn't fade from Purple Eyes's lips as he turned around, looking down at a pair of Rangers and a small little thing. He looked behind them and was not surprised by the string of fallen Steelhead that carved the path. In fact, he was pleased with the results. The boy had exceeded his expectations. A good candidate of his attention, but not as experienced and ready as Kate.

"Huh, now this is a surprise!" He feigned mild shock. "Impressive, passing through all those thunderclouds."

"No matter what you planned," The girl replied to him. "We're going to make you wish you'd just given up!"

Talking to young adults was too easy and aggravating, since they liked to prove anyone older than them wrong.

"We'll see who wishes they've given up," Purple Eyes accepted the challenge. "Pincher! Crush them!"

The response was immediate and cold.

"With pleasure."

"As you wish."

The Steelhead began to descend upon the Rangers, who were commendably bold enough to brace themselves and take off after the Steelhead and the Pokmeon that jumped at them. He watched from where he stood, observing the boy with greater detail. The girl and the boy's little mascot didn't matter to him. He wanted to know how much the boy knew about his untapped potential. These Steelhead were a perfect chance to push the Ranger to act. He hoped to see blood.

But the boy didn't deal with the Steelhead as brutally as he had wanted it to be. The Steelhead was indeed easy to knock out, given their bulky armor and most regrettably abysmal fighting skills. A well trained Ranger could easily outclass them without killing them. Even the girl was effortlessly capturing Pokemon and send them back out her opponents while easily dodging a direct hit. Purple Eyes didn't so much as purse his lips for a moment as he saw the Rangers return their gazes at him while surrounded by a pool of unconscious bodies. He summoned a Magnetron and a Magnemite from his repository of captured Pokemon from his Gauntlet, in case the boy was smart enough to punch him immediately.

"Give it up, Purple Eyes," the girl demanded, as if she spoke for the entire pair. So was she some sort of spokeswoman?

"Zapdos is already starting to awaken, so your efforts are fruitless," he smiled at them. "It should be complete awake any moment now. And then, when the thee rules of the sky are awake, it will rise again."

The Rangers, the girl especially, did not agree.

"Ben!" she exchanged knowing glances with her partner. "Let's show them who's top-class!"

He made a motion to prevent the Steelhead from further making fools of themselves (the ancient Steelhead must be proud and arrogant, he assumed) before stepping off the rocks he was perched upon. The electric Pokemon orbited him as he walked dangerously close to the Rangers. Ben, whose name that he now knew, stepped between him and the girl. The yellow Pokemon, a Pichu under closer inspection, joined the boy as well.

"Oh, that won't do," he said. "Let's begin already."

"What's so honorable about this?"

"Oh, yes, I've forgot," he smiled, and he rushed the boy, and in a flash, he had in his arms, the girl, who was equally as shocked by his move as much as Ben was.

"You-" Ben stammered, but dropped his surprise quickly. "Let Summer go."

Summer, the girl, was cursing under her breath, and the boy didn't want to back away. Purple Eyes reveled in the steely glare that the Ranger sent his way. Evidently, the boy cared for this young woman. He must be severely inexperienced, if he hadn't been as hardened as his adult mentors. He hadn't set aside his feelings about his work. He wouldn't be a good King.

He glanced over to where Zapdos was still asleep. The bird proved to be difficult in waking, compared to the other two birds, even though Red Eyes, ever the less competent, managed to succeed in awakening two birds. He hoped this damned bird would at least move or twitch from the noisemaking Gauntlets the and the Steelheads' chants. His thoughts were interrupted momentarily by the girl's struggle to get out of his hold on her, and he held her at a distance, hand wound around the back of her neck, and lifted her off the ground. She kicked helplessly in the air, as she should, and without much chance of yelping and cursing, looked to Ben for help. A pitiful creature.

"Purple Eyes…" Ben growled, and now he was sure he had pushed the boy far enough. He could see the fury in those eyes. His test would come soon.

* * *

><p>Summer was sure her head would roll if she was kept hanging from this man's hands. The fight was slowly seeping from her, and she was forced to watch Ben's fury take over. This was a sight she never thought she'd ever witness in her entire life.<p>

Ben was not that easy to startle or upset. He could complain and grumble, but he was mostly tolerable of whatever conditions anyone put him in. Summer could have sworn that if he was ever captured and tortured, he'd break his interrogators before they could break him, since he could withstand so much.

Purple Eyes continued to speak in his arrogant tone, making deliberate flourishes with his free hand to egg Ben on. Summer hated those kinds of people - the theatrics, the unnecessary talking. She found these qualities rather stupid to have unless one was in politics. This was a mission, not a press conference.

"I, the pinnacle of the Pinchers, will take you on," Purple Eyes laughs. "It will soon rise again, and when it does, it will be best to be rid of you."

Then, just like Purple Eyes had flashed out of sight, Ben disappeared from where he stood, and seconds later, she was staring directly at him as he reached for her shoulders and wrenched her out of Purple Eyes's grasp.

"Ben?!" was all she could manage when he smashed her face into his chest without warning and unceremoniously dumped her onto the ground in the span of a few seconds. She didn't have time to dust herself off and thank him when he threw a punch at Purple Eyes, who avoided it effortlessly.

"Oh?" Heightened interest flashed in the man's features. "I like the look in your eyes. Did I hit too close to home?"

Ben didn't give him any answer, but it was definitely provoking him. He swung again and this time started kicking at the man, and he relentlessly performed them in rapid succession. Purple Eyes watched in mild amusement, not letting any of those attacks hit. Then he made his move.

Summer saw the Magnemite connect with one of Ben's fists, and the Ranger went rigid and crumpled to the ground. His distraught Pichu came rushing over, and it made a feeble attempt to shake him awake, though he still showed signs of life by the small twitches of his fingers.

"Ben!" Summer tried to step forward, but she was flanked by the Steelheads and Purple Eyes slowly approaching forward.

"His abilities exceeded my expectations," he mused. "But I guess that's where I guess I have to draw the line. A shame that the lady and her little knight couldn't make it here today."

"You mean Kate and Keith?" Summer made the connection. "They don't have time for the likes of you."

"Well, it's their mistake," Purple Eyes shrugged indifferently. "You know, we are the only men left standing in the Pinchers. Blue Eyes has defected. Red Eyes has been demoted. We're on the final stage of our victory. To think that your best men would avoid coming here to stop us is rather illogical. Give up. Your little prince is as good as dead. He's stronger than you, isn't he? You can't possibly win now."

"I…"

Summer had to concede, averting her gaze. She wasn't some special project like Ben, or Kate, or Keith. Rand was normal, too, but he wasn't assigned in charge of Oblivia for no reason. She wasn't as experienced, and she wasn't as old. She was… useless…

"Ah-"

Purple Eyes seemed to stop talking, and instead, he was… croaking? The man was barely standing on his toes, and a hand was clasped about his throat from behind. Summer wasn't sure if she was blinking, but the Steelhead dropped to their knees, defeated in a heartbeat. She could see the familiar crackle of electricity emanating from behind the leader of the Pinchers. Koa? Ben? He took all of these Steelheads out?

No delay came between the blow and the next. Catching the man off guard was a definite advantage, and but the spectacle confused Summer. This felt like it was taken straight out of those ridiculous action shows. The hero gets defeated by the villain and gets unexpectedly stronger than ever.

Purple Eyes gasped. "That's… impossible…"

Ben disposed of him, dropping him to the ground. He even gave one good kick to make sure the man wasn't going to get up anytime soon.

"You did it, Ben!" Summer cried excitedly. "You protected Zapdos! You-"

She stopped short when she observed the boy a little more closely. He looked rather blank than angry at what Purple Eyes had done. He didn't even look up at her, and instead stared down at the weakened Purple Eyes. He wasn't unconscious, and he was shaking from his wounds, muttering to himself.

"The world... This entire world…" His voice was so low that it was still hard to hear. "Was so close to becoming mine... Zapdos! Why won't you awaken?! We've removed the cradle of black clouds that protected your sleep!"

He stared back up at Ben, who didn't even flinch. "And you! You are a King!"

Summer paused. King? He must have been dropped on his head too hard.

"King?"

Ben finally spoke in a voice so unbecoming of him, "I don't recall ever being called a 'King'."

"Oh?" Purple Eyes scoffed at him. "You mean to say she never told you?"

"Wait," Summer needed to intervene. "What's-"

"This is embarrassing, Purple Eyes," A decrypted voice echoed around them, and the two Rangers looked wildly about for its source. Purple Eyes dragged himself to his knees, and for once in his life, looked like a terrified deer in the headlights.

"Y-You…"

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**_ I actually have a lot in store for this story, since I intended it to lead into another story, one that I had been silly enough to start writing in the middle of being on hiatus with this one. And then I changed my mind and wanted to make a totally different origin story for that third installment, since I wanted to write something more original. But I have high doubts that I can ever finish that story, so I hope to finish this one, so at least there's some clear background. So yeah, sorry to leave you all confused for the next chapter._


	27. Chapter 27

**Tracks of Light**

**Chapter 27**

* * *

><p>Keith could hardly believe what Kate was saying. The fact that the two of them were both products of Project Black Water was not much of a secret, but to think that something like this could happen…<p>

"But how is that possible? I though we destroyed all versions of the documentation on the project."

"I don't know myself, though since Team Dim Sun had connections to the underground, I guess stopping the leak of information wasn't well planned when we came around to destroying the evidence."

"Wait," Keith maintained himself. "This… Purple Eyes… he's somehow known about the details of Project Black Water, and has taken the thing himself."

"Confirmed," the ex-Ranger sighed as she reclined in her chair. "To think that he'd follow me all the way out here… this is troublesome."

The redhead pursed his lips, recalling that she had been involved in more shadier places when she was dishonorably discharged from the Union. Of course she would have run into questionable characters and somehow get stuck in something bad. Even though he was certain of this, he had to worry somewhat, did he? Just what did Kate get herself into? After all, she never went into the details of her employment, not that he ever pressed her.

"How bad?"

"Abysmal," she said. "He probably knows how things will proceed, and we'll just play into his hands the way we're going."

"Well, isn't that just grand?" Keith collapsed into the seat opposite Kate exasperatedly. "Do we even know what he wants?"

"No. That's why the situation is terrible."

"Ha," a mirthless laugh. "Why can't this be easy?"

A simple poaching ring that stuck its nose too high was now a syndicate involving superhuman humans. If there was anything else to make his life more exciting, why not throw in some legendary Pokemon? Some divine intervention? What a story this would make if he ever lived to tell Sven. The man would laugh at him.

"But there's one thing we know," Kate offered. "Since he is with the Pinchers, it's easier for us to understand what his employers are after."

"What, more secrets on Project Black Water? To be immortal?"

"Sure," she shrugged. "Black Water is the closest thing to immortality. It's not like we can die by conventional means. Who wouldn't want that?"

Kate was right. Of course this would be the perfect scenario to get immortality, though something wasn't quite right. Sure Purple Eyes's employer wanted some of that Black Water, but why not just get the information and get it done and over with? Why couldn't they just poach the Pokemon for experiments, perhaps add some human subjects? He couldn't understand what could possibly better than the promised wonders that Black Water had.

A pregnant pause fell between them as they were both enclosed in their own thoughts for a few more minutes, until Kate finally sat up and stepped out of her computer station, taking her long coat hanging on the back of the chair with one fluid motion. Keith noticed the change and scrambled out of his seat to catch up to her. She called for her Croagunk and Bastidon to accompany them, putting them in their respective Pokeballs.

Not wanting to be left in the dark (Kate never was one to explain whatever she did), Keith caught her by the shoulder.

"Where are you going?"

"Back to those ruins," she saw his confused expression before elaborating further. "Remember how Purple Eyes escaped through a hidden passage? There's definitely a lot of things we don't know."

"I'm coming with you."

"Well, of course you are. I never told you to stay here."

The woman stepped into a new room he hadn't visited yet, and when the lights came on, he was seeing a long hall of almost everything he could imagine. Kate was a eerily orderly person, and this room really showed it. Knives were arranged on two panels of the room, and longer blades hung on little shelfs right after it. On the opposite wall were just a long, long wall of guns of all shapes and sizes. Kate didn't even bother to think about which one she needed and headed over to the smaller guns, taking the first semi-automatic that hung on the wall.

"Uh, Kate?" He asked uneasily. "How did you get all this?"

The ex-Ranger weighed the first gun, and satisfied with it, pocketed it in a holster hidden inside her jacket.

"My old employer left behind a generous collection," she said discreetly. "Before he was... unfit to work anymore."

Keith wanted to asked if Kate was trying to say she killed the man for the weapons, but he shook the feeling. Kate definitely had dirtied her hands, but she wouldn't do it for something as petty as extra weapons, and he could never imagine Kate surviving the kickback of some of the more bizarrely larger weapons. In fact, none of the big guns seemed to ever have been touched for years.

* * *

><p>"I've lost all faith in you."<p>

The words must have rung through Purple Eyes's mind like the executioner's final swing. The man sank to the floor, distraught at what he had done, what he didn't achieve, what he heard. Summer should have pitied him, but she was too concentrated on the fact that Ben had been acting rather oddly for the past few minutes. The boy was glowering up at the sky. Her eyes followed his line of sight, and she fought the urge to shout at it.

She could immediately tell that the technology was terribly similar to the Pinchers' Z.Z. Flyers. The owner of this Flyer had good thinking to hide their identities behind the frosted glass. If the Ranger stared harder, she could make out faint outlines of a man of great stature, but a withering build.

"H-how…" Purple Eyes's expression bordered between hurt and anger. "How did you know…?"

"Since when?" the voice echoed mockingly. "When did you start thinking about making this world yours? We know more about you than you think, Purple Eyes. Don't forget your place. You're nothing more than one of our pawns.

"I have been informed that it wasn't your knowledge that solved the mystery of the murals but rather a certain archaeologist who resides here. And even though we gave you a great treasure or mysterious gauntlets and armor from the past, you weren't even able to put them to good use. The failure clinched it."

"You don't understand," Purple Eyes's plea turned into a snarl. "You need me. You know you do. I was going to succeed you, wasn't I?"

"Purple Eyes," The stranger proclaimed. "Listen well. You're no longer needed in our society. In fact, we have many more candidates that can replace you. Your scene ends here. From now on, I'll take the stage myself."

The stranger seemingly turned to face the sleeping bird, now vulnerable from the Pinchers and Steelheads' valiant attempt to take down its barriers.

"Zapdos!" The voice bellowed. "Now is the time to wane from your endless slumber! And give us power! Now, Zapdos, Awaken!"

Ben watched with mixed horror and surprise as the great bird's eyes snapped open, and startled by the crowd that the Pinchers and Rangers made around its resting area, it squawked in fright and fled capture, taking flight to the skies where it could better defend itself.

"Zapdos!" Summer called out to it before it was out of earshot, but it didn't regard any human that was on that mountain.

"It took more time than expected," said the stranger in the glass cage of a Flyer. "But even the work of those young Pinchers was a little valuable. Decent work, I guess."

Summer pointed an accusing finger at the floating capsule, "Who in the world are you? What are you planning? Get off your vehicle, and come here!"

"Summer, don't provoke them," Ben tried to hold his friend back from causing more trouble, and gave the capsule a glare, indicating that he too wanted to know. It's just he was afraid of speaking out when they were clearly outnumbered would only result in both their captures, or worse, their deaths. That stranger in the caged Flyer was clearly stronger than everyone else, and the Ranger had no control over this.

The stranger, however, was very considerate, "You'll know soon enough, Summer. And to you Benjamin, future King and candidate… We'll be waiting."

Summer gasped at the realization, "H-How did you know our names?"

"I am in power here. I don't answer you."

Just as he finished, several Steelheads riding Z.Z. Flyers appeared from the clouds and charged down at them. Summer screamed and buried her face in Ben's chest, and the boy looked away, thinking that not looking this danger in the face was better. Koa squeaked incessantly and struggled to fit in the small gap between Summer and Ben, just as scared of the ordeal. They waited for their injuries, but nothing happened. Instead, the Flyers came to pick up their fallen comrades, and Purple Eyes was being led away by the steelheads. And without any proper goodbye, all of them were gone. Ben was now unsure how he was going to explain this to both Kate and Keith.

Thankfully, his Styler starting beeping wildly, and he turned on the receiver.

"What's the situation?" Keith's voice came through the static.

"Uh…" Ben looked around for a moment before returning to the screen. "We failed… Purple Eyes had more reinforcements we could handle."

"Was there anything unusual?" Kate demanded, though Ben could guess she was ways away from the Styler.

"Other than the Steelhead and Pinchers," Ben answered. "There was someone who interrupted our confrontation and awakened Zapdos all by himself, herself… I couldn't tell who that was."

His explanation was met with static until he could hear Keith take a deep breath, from either excitement or fear.

"Don't worry about it," he finally said. "Just get off the island and come back with us to Oblivia Ruins. Kate said she wanted to reinvestigate the escape routes that Purple Eyes took the last time we met."

Ben switched off the Styler's communications and found Summer huddled on the ground, her eyes aimed blankly at the ground. Koa stayed by her, trying in vain to get her attention. Ben stepped up to her feet and held out a hand, but she didn't look up.

"Summer?"

The girl's head snapped up at him, realizing how close he was. Startled, she sprang to her feet, and Ben could have sworn her head could have met his chin if he hadn't stepped back. Summer was shaking in the knees and hugging herself to stay calm. Ben couldn't really pinpoint what was making her so anxious, but it was definitely partly due to Purple Eyes's move on her.

"I-I'm sorry," she stammered. "I-I'm just a little scared, that's all. Give me a minute."

"That's okay," Ben tried to sound more sincere, a skill he usually lacked in. "Just don't stay too long. Keith called and he wants us to get to Oblivia Ruins as soon as possible."

"O-Oh… Don't worry about me, then. We can go now."

* * *

><p>"All three have been finally awakened," Kate murmured, processing whatever Ben had told them. "And a mysterious man."<p>

"It's as you said," Keith shrugged.

"Yes, but I didn't expect that Purple Eyes's employers would show up so soon. I'd imagine they sit back for a little longer, since there really wasn't any reason to show up. I'm sure that Purple Eyes would have woken the bird up anyways, even if it would take a little longer."

"He must have gotten on his boss's nerves, then. I'm sure his boss was done with him and decided to fire him and humiliate him even more."

"I don't know about that. Ben said that the stranger took Purple Eyes with them. I guess they still have some use for him because he's like us."

Kate and Keith had stationed themselves behind the waterfall that led to Oblivia Ruins. Ben was minutes away, but she didn't really have the patience for this. She was tempted to go inside and leave Keith to tell Ben and Summer what to do, but it wouldn't be advantageous if she went off on her own. Kate couldn't guarantee that the place would have a few Steelheads walking around. While she did kill a good number again, that was out of necessity, and Ben and Keith did not take her approach to those Steelheads very well.

Ben arrived predictably a few minutes after, jumping off the Latios and landing in the shallow parts of the creek, and Summer followed after him. The little Pokemon he had as a partner still hung on to his head, definitely not used to flying so fast before. Slightly amused, Kate got off the stones she was perched upon and regrouped with everyone and readied for the first steps into the ruins.

The corridors were empty for the most part and were void of hostile Pokemon.

When this continued for another floor down , Kate gathered that the place must have been cleaned out thoroughly, and it was likely there wasn't much evidence left for her to follow on. Perhaps this was a fruitless effort, but she didn't want to feel useless while Leanne was healing and working. The woman had forgone a stable recovery to finish interpreting the pictures of the ruins in mountain. Her husband had protested that she should go rest, but he wasn't in much of a position to tell her to do anything either. The last time Kate had checked, Rand was walking around in the living room attempting to cook something for his wife, despite how much his injuries probably ached. Both the Ranger and his archaeologist were a stubborn lot, not that she was any different from them.

The trouble really started when they ran into the lower parts of the ruins where most of the Claydol dwelled. It seemed like the Pokemon there were still agitated from their home having been disturbed not too long ago, and any sign of a visitor triggered them to act. Summer acted quickly to subdue the hostile Pokemon, a feat that impressed Kate. The rookie were adapting well and getting rid of that split-second hesitation. Even her friend's newfound partner Pokemon was adjusting to the Ranger's life, reacting just as quickly as its master to calm the Pokemon down with its music. The little mouse was smarter than Kate had seen of it. She was sure the little tunes it played were actual songs she heard on the island whenever she passed by the town square of Renbow Village, instead of just primitive twanging of strings.

A slight sound of many footsteps on the floor below them put them all on high alert, and they found several large gapes in the lower parts of the wall. Kneeling down behind the portions that had not yet been eroded, the Rangers watched for the intruding visitors, or likely Pinchers who probably could be still lurking here.

Indeed, there were Steelhead brazenly marching down the corridors in a large flock, something Kate hadn't really expected of them. They usually were very orderly, but this? They were escorting someone, from the looks of it. The escort was definitely shorter than the larger bulkier men and women in armor, and the telltale signs of a yellow scarf billowing at the back of the group and a hint of pink and gray hair was worrying. Ben was quick to recognize the familiar face and held back a gasp.  
>"Wasn't that Kasa?" the boy murmured, his frame tensing. "Did they capture her?"<p>

Kasa, Kate remembered the woman's name. She knew the woman's history, as well as the rest of her gang's background. They were all former members of the underground of Orre, people of many talents who survived the difficulties and found the lucky chance to retire in a peaceful island far away from the place they were born. Kate had the fortunate chance of meeting Kasa before the woman retired, but the encounter left her uncomfortable, since it was Kasa and her little troupe that came to her asking questions, questions she couldn't really answer. Even then, she was unable to learn anything about them. Everyone she knew back in Orre were so tight-lipped about who Kasa was, who her allies where.

"That lady wasn't struggling," Keith said. "In fact, they look like they're following her."

"Following?" Ben pieced the information together. "Then that means..."

"Yes," Kate got up and started walking down to the next floor, "Let's go. Before we lose them."

The other three agreed immediately, and for the rest of the way, they hid behind the corners, keeping a careful distance between themselves and the Steelhead. Kate assured herself that she had a firearm on her. She was used to carrying them around now, but it was never a weapon she was really accustomed to using, though they were quicker to kill with. She rarely ever brought her guns with her, since just a blade would be quick to use and clean, and she was fast enough to make it an efficient method of silencing. This was just a precaution, she thought, just in case something goes wrong. Kasa and her little tea party were always a suspicious bunch, coming up to her years ago and asking her questions that were intrusive about how Kate ever came to Orre, about Project Black Water (the topic was taboo even in Orre), if Kate had no other word for it, and now that they were involved in this, too...

The escorting party stopped, and Kate stepped back behind the corner, hoping that the woman didn't notice them. Everyone held their breaths, just as nervous, and then Kasa acted in a way they weren't really expecting.

Kasa began to struggle out of the circle of Steelhead, her face contorted in desperation to get out of the strong grips of the Steelhead, who kept her in the circle, but Kate could tell the hesitation and confusion in their movements. An act? A surprise that their hostage wasn't so docile anymore? No, an act. What for?

"Let me go!" the woman began to yell, but the Steelhead grasped her shoulders, trying to calm her, and she continued to kick and punch at them, as much as her elderly limbs could, but she was "subdued" and they continued, with the woman throwing curses at the unfeeling abominations that led her away to what Kate could tell were those big red doors that she and Keith had broken when they were on their way to save Leanne and Nema from Purple Eyes.

"What was that all about?" Keith was just as skeptical as she was, eyebrows raised, and still tense about the event that was much too sudden.

"Let's keep going," Kate said reluctantly and she began to be more casual as she walked out in plain view. They probably knew, she considered in dismay. They knew that she was here, with the Rangers. Oh well, there was no point in hiding anymore, was there?

Just as they made it to the toppled red doors, Keith's Styler sounded quietly, and he picked up the message. He also didn't want to be quiet anymore, since there was no point to it.

"Basil?"

"Yeah, it's me," the voice was barely drowned out by static, considering that they were under layers of rock. "Ice and I just saw the three legendary birds from Dolce."

"You're still in Dolce?" Kate joined in. "You should leave the island. You're vulnerable out in the open wild like that."

"I know, sis, but I can't just leave," her little brother apologized. "But Ice and I are a little worried that just going out to sea will alarm them. Right now those birds are not in the right mind, and I just got reports from Murph that some boats got zapped and some birds are falling unconscious from the skies. It's not safe to leave the island either."

"Is it that bad?"

"Yup. But don't worry, big sister, I'm going to make sure we'll get back home when we can."

"Good, you better." And Kate turned off the communications for Keith and headed down into the chambers after the red doors. Keith didn't say anything as he followed after her. They were both worried about Basil, and now that things have come to the worst...

"Hey," Summer pointed. "Wasn't that the entrance when we were here before? I can hear people laughing from in there..."

Sure enough, there was a new door ahead of them, and all Kate could see from them was a long flight of stairs, strangely furbished with new red carpet. They walked through cautiously into the new room, and Ben flinched at the faint shriek of strings at the top of the stairs. Kate took the lead, slowly climbing the steps. The discomforting music grew louder as they ascended.  
>The Rangers were met with the strange sight of a fanciful room with an ornate dinner table, an innocuous tea set arranged neatly across the table. Kate's gaze shifted to the Steelhead lined against the walls of the room like servants in some mansion. She stopped walking when she saw who waited for them at the end of the long table. Everyone else's faces drained of color at the odd spectacle of Kasa drinking tea in the vicinity of monsters, accompanied by Hocus and Arley at her side.<p>

"I-it's you guys!" Summer pointed an accusing finger at three. "What are you all doing here?"

The first laughed, slamming his cup precariously on the table, the contents sloshing about. Kate recognized the same green coat, and that same long white scar that ran down that man's face. He always tailed behind Kasa and her cohorts, throwing vicious glances whenever someone didn't look at them right, or that's what her co-workers had told her. Now that he had aged so greatly, every time she saw him, he was the gentle giant. But not this time.

"Oh, it's you, Summer," Arley chuckled. "As you can see, we're having a tea party."

"Some party you're having," Keith shot back, glancing warily at the Steelhead that hadn't moved ever since they had arrived.

"Today's a little different," Kasa smiled. "This is a very special tea party. You should be honored to have been invited to join us today, especially you Rangers, the special ones, I mean."

"Special?" Kate asked in doubt, but she was ignored when Summer attempted to approach the elderly woman.

"Kasa?" She took a few more steps closer. "We saw you escorted and struggling! Were you hurt by the Steelhead?"

"Oh, that," the woman didn't seem to mind her supposed demise. "Thank you for saving me just now. I escaped with nothing more than just a smudge in my dress, thanks to you."

"That aside, Rangers," Hocus interrupted them, levitating a tea set towards there direction. "Would you like some delicious tea?"

Kate made a move to step aside from the flying teapot, but she was jolted aside by a minor explosion that shattered the pot into pieces. She saw from the corner of her eye Keith looking just as stern, his hand outstretched from snapping his fingers.

"This isn't the time for that," He said to the elderly. "It's too dangerous to be here now."

"Are you talking about the Steelhead?" Arley grinned. "If so, don't worry. I've employed them to be our hired help today."

Summer cried in frustration. "But don't you get it? Staying here is dangerous, so we're going to vacate you even if we have to drag you out!"

As soon as Summer finished her outburst, the Steelhead started moving in position around them. Ben quickly pulled Summer back and placed her in between himself and Kate, who herself was backing up against the others.

"What?" Summer was surprised. "What's with you guys!"

"That's it," Keith clicked his teeth in irritation, and sent fire at the nearest Steelhead. "Peace talks are over."

"Agreed," Kate said, and she landed a bullet at another Steelhead. Croagunk leapt out of her pocket and followed its master, flinging a Steelhead at the wall.

* * *

><p>Ben and Summer both watched in confusion at how their seniors dispatched the Steelhead so easily. For them to act so quickly, they knew something that he didn't. This made him highly uncomfortable, that Kate and Keith didn't even tell him, but his mind had to set it aside when Summer yelped as a Steelhead came too close, and he punched it aside. He looked back to see that Kate was about to finish off one of the Steelhead and shift her efforts to Arley when something stalled her attention. All the fire and clashing subsided at the haunting feeling that welled up inside him.<p>

"What's all the commotion about?" A familiar voice echoed in the now silent room. "Did something happen?"

Summer was the first to recognize the new face, but she made no move to approach him.

"Doctor Edward!"

"The doctor?" Ben muttered under his breath, and saw that indeed, he was not mistaken. The elderly doctor had climbed the stairs, and was now standing in the midst of a battle. He seemed genuinely confused by the carnage, but not terrified. Ben could guess that being a doctor would do that to a man.

"Oh?" His voice came off as too pleasant for something like this. "The Rangers? Did someone invite you as guests?"

"You're as busy as ever, I see," Arley was just as civil. Kasa joined in, chuckling at the doctor's late arrival.

"When work is busy, taking a rest is especially important," the woman shrugged. "Don't you agree, Hocus?"

"Kasa's instinct is right," the magician nodded. "Not only do I have precious tea, but I've also prepared the most wondrous illusion. It'll be even more fun with more guests. Don't you agree Arley?"

Arlen's smile faded, searching for something else to say.

"I-I guess... Err... Well…"

"Arley, what's the matter?"

Before the brawny man could explain, a bullet narrowly missed his nose, and everyone looked at Kate and Keith. Neither of them were impressed by the little act.

"You're wasting our time," Kate growled at them. "Leaders of the Pinchers!"

Summer stiffened at the mention of the name, and her face couldn't have gotten any paler. Edward, in the meantime, didn't let his disarming smile go. He started pacing his way towards the other end of the room to his companions. He showed no sign of ill will, but the heavy footsteps carried a different meaning.

"Fine," the answer was curt. "I thought this would be a fun way to kill time until the show, but you're right, we don't need a ridiculous farce like this at this late hour."

He flung his jacket aside, and presented himself with a flourishing motion. "Rangers, thanks to your running around at the very end, I had to lift my weary bones in a manner unbecoming of my age. I was the one who awakened Zapdos."

Ben watched in silence, processing what he had learned. Purple Eyes was afraid of this man? Just what kind of person was the doctor?

Summer was just as surprised. "H-how?"

"Ohohoho," Hocus wagged a telling finger at her. "You see, this is how the trick works! We are the Societea! We're a fantastic group of friends who've used our money to support the Pinchers and worked towards the goal of realizing our grand dream!"

"Societea?" Ben muttered, and looked to Kate, who was still glaring at the group. Her expression of malice slowly became one of horror. She must have known, he thought to himself. She and Keith knew.

"Our plan was flawless," Arley narrated. "The only things we didn't plan on we're your appearance and Purple Eyes's treachery."

"Of course it was pain to deal with," Kasa laughed. "But even that was no more than the opening act to warm up for the big show that's about to start."

"I wonder if you remember the fitting words to the traitor PE spoke," Edward continued. "'This world is so close to becoming mine'? That line is perfect for me right now."

"Oh, dear!" Kasa gasped. "I've forgotten! Let's introduce ourselves!"

From under her coat, she withdrew a gauntlet for her right arm. When he saw the piece of armor, he felt a sense of dread running through his veins. Something was absolutely wrong with that gold plated armor.

"I'm Kasa Adler!" The woman re-introduced herself, curtseying mockingly at them. "A master of disguise so accomplished that only I know what I really look like."

Hocus, ever the performer, pirouetted before revealing his own gauntlet on his left. A grin stretched to the sides of his face most unsettlingly to Ben.

"I'm Hocus Houdini!" He said as he bowed. "I was called the miraculous magician, because no one alive has figured out my tricks."

Arley ripped off his main coat and showed off his own armor, a chest plate of the same material as the other two. He flexed his burly arms that framed his armor too fittingly.

"Arley Bunyan!" He declared In the past, "I was a feared wrestler known as Arley the Destroyer! And I'm training as hard as ever!"

"Finally, as you know," Edward put on a helmet that matched the other three pieces. "I am Edward Lupin. Being a doctor is my cover. I was known and feared as 'The Thinker,' and there was nothin I couldn't steal. The four of us started working as the Societea over 40 years ago. We've been all over the world, stealing anything worth calling treasure. We're such a perfect team, it even amazes me."

"The Societea," the words drifted from Kate's mouth, and Ben could see her reaching for something in her coat.

"I'm the master planner, Kasa handles disguises, Hocus is crafty, and Arley is strong," Edward continued to speak. "There wasn't anything the four of us couldn't steal. We were like gods, even after our reign was over. But even this perfect team couldn't beat old age.

"The Societea broke up, and I started living peacefully here in Oblivia. But I was born bad. I couldn't be expected to take the boredom of an elegant and simple life. No thrills, no excitement. All I has was time to waste. I couldn't stand the peace and boredom, and most of all, I couldn't stand myself in old age.

"That's when i heard of the legend of the Immortal Ruler who wore Golden Armor. I called the old gang and starts collecting information on each area in Oblivia. Then, I finally found them. The many wonderful relics left in Oblvia's by the Ancient Ruler. Of course, I have my allies to thank.

"Our first discovery from the ruins was a great number of suits and strange armor and Control Gauntlets left by ancient warriors called Steelhead. As you can see, we are wearing parts of the Armor. We have nothing to fear. Because being immortal means we never have to worry about getting old - let alone dying."

"Living forever?" Ben raised an eyebrow. That was impossible, wasn't it?

Bang!

A shot rang out, and Edward staggered backwards, red blooming on his chest, before collapsing to the group. Kasa and Hocus were the next to be hit, shots directly on their hearts. Arley didn't have time to react when a bullet landed square on his forehead. Ben looked back at Kate, and saw a gun sitting in her hands.

"Immortality?" Kate smiled wryly. "Don't make me laugh. It's impossible to achieve, even for people like myself."

"Impossible?" Edward's voice boomed through the room. "I'd like to say the contrary."

Kate froze in place as she watched the doctor's supposedly lifeless body pick himself up and prop himself up against the table, slowly rising to his feet. Ben could hear Summer's horrified gasps, and he couldn't believe it himself. That man was alive, after a shot like that, and he was sure Kate had to be a good shot to be confident enough to kill him.

The ex-Ranger was just as surprised, her hands beginning to tremble. "I was so sure…"

"Why are you so surprised, Kate?" the doctor mocked her. "You of all people should know that immortality really does exist."

"What we suffered was anything but immortality," Kate said. "We'll die if we get shot enough times."

"And the Societea surviving your little stunt was more than enough proof," Edward waved to his allies who slowly got up, as if their wounds didn't bother them in the slightest.

"Then what more do you want?" Keith said. "You got what you wanted, your immortality. Are you saying you want the world now?"

"Exactly," The Thinker said too gleefully. "Just wearing the Golden Armor alone, however, isn't everything. The Ancient Ruler obtained a power hat so terrible not only Oblivia, but the entire world fell to its knees. We, the Societea, had once had a taste of this power, but our wish to be in possession of that unlimited power is about to be resurrected!"

The ground began to rumble, and Summer squeaked at the slightest jolt and clung onto Ben. The boy himself was thrown off balance, landing on his back from the intensity of the quake. Kate and Keith faltered where they stood, struggling to stay standing. The fear Ben had was growing ever more in intensity. The ground shook even more furiously, to his horror. Was this chamber going to collapse on them?

"My meddlesome Rangers…" The Thinker said as he exited through a nearby exit. "We'll spare your lives, because of the courage and wisdom it took to get the far, and the fact that you're still useful to us. Have some tea while you sit here and watch the return of The Societea, the new eternal rulers!"

* * *

><p>Keith, who had dragged the kids out of the ruins, was for once out of breath. Kate was just as much in the same state, and he couldn't blame her. They really were within an inch of their lives, even if they could have withstood getting crushed. They stared up at the sky at a giant fortress that had risen from the skies earlier. It was gathering an immense amount of energy in the things he assumed were the cannons.<p>

When the fort had fired on the entirety of Dolce Island, completely destroying the little island, he was amazed, and frightened, that something could have been worse than the Altru Tower he and Kate had worked so hard to deactivate years ago. He could hear Kate losing her composure and falling to her knees. The kids were just as shocked, and they were unable to find any strength in themselves to stand up.

"No way... " Summer muttered under her breath. "Dolce Island... It's gone…"

Keith turned to Kate, and he had never seen a horrified expression ever since she had tried to rescue him from Team Dim Sun. He couldn't remember the details clearly, but he knew that it was not a good memory for either of them, for Kate especially.

"Basil…" She whispered, and Keith looked back at where the island had been, realizing what had just transpired. If her little brother's last call meant anything, he was still on that island! He approached Kate, hoping that he could comfort her, but a booming voice that erupted from the sky stopped everyone from moving.

"People of Oblivia!" The Thinker's voice echoed. "We are the new rulers of Oblivia! Now you have witnessed an unbelievable scene. But believe it, it's real!

"In the past, there was an immortal ruler in Oblivia! The person of legend left us these gifts: the immortality-granting Golden Armor and the Sky Fortress!

"Now, behave and submit to us, The Societea, who have obtained eternal life and unbelievable power! If you don't, the Light of Judgement that we just showed you will certainly destroy the islands of Oblivia one by one!"


	28. Chapter 28

**Tracks of Light**

**Chapter 28**

* * *

><p>Not a single word was exchanged the entire week unless any of the Rangers needed to relay simple information. Everyone was busy as bees ever since the recent events. The appearance of the sky fortresses had forced all the island residents to hide underground, away from the blast of the canon, away from the Steelhead that were terrorizing anything that moved on the surface. They had filed away into each island 's individual tsunami shelter, which was humongous and well packed with supplies and facilities that would easily last two months. The evacuation to shelters had taken less than a week, which was record time for everyone on immediate notice, and there was little difficulty in convincing anyone, even the elderly, to let go of their homes just for a little while. The shock of an entire island annihilated by a simple wave of energy had spooked out the populace enough to listen.<p>

Once everyone had been safe, the Rangers and a few able others made quick trips around the surface to relay messages and supplies between the shelters. Frankly, most of the extras were Blue Eyes's former henchmen, but everyone was surviving here, so there was no room to squabble over former alliances. The Societea had effectively abandoned the Pinchers, who had nowhere to run. They might as well help with the effort.

Keith was on break for the time being in a bunk room he shared with Kate. For this past hour, he tried to remember the last time he had spoken with the ex-Ranger. She hadn't been well to keep a handle on her emotions the moment the island was blown to bits, and he was holding her back from throwing herself at the sea in some vain attempt to search for Basil and Ice, who had been on the island. Thankfully, her little brother had made it out to the ocean before the island had been struck , but Ice hadn't been so lucky.

When Kate found Basil a complete sobbing mess in one of the boats carrying the surviving Pokemon, she learned that the only reason Basil had made it out was that Ice tossed him at the last minute onto the last boat as soon as they were done helping the Pokemon evacuate. From then on, she never said another word about the man, or about anything, for that matter. Keith understood that former Sinis Trio member had grown exceptionally close to the Davies siblings for someone who was once Kate's enemy, so he respected their grief and instead waited for a time when Kate was comfortable with talking.

As for himself, Keith felt strangely hollow. He had watched an entire island disappear in seconds, and he wondered what the rest of the world was thinking, now that there was a huge ancient fortress in the sky that could destroy continents without much effort. Keith was sure that no one would dare send them any aid, though he agreed with Murph that if they ever wanted to take that monstrosity down, they needed more people. Was everyone afraid out there? Or was Hastings, the gutsy professor he was, going to declare war on that thing? He wanted to call them, but using the Wireless Tower was out of the question since their messages could be intercepted.

The doors of the bunk room slid open, and Kate walked in, a Mismagius trailing behind her before returning to its Pokeball. She wavered by the side of the bed in front of him (Keith had the bottom bunk) and finally plopped down beside him, mindful of the top bunk so as not to hit her head on the lower rungs. When he looked closer, he could tell how exhausted she was from the shadows under her eyes. Even though Basil was safe and sound, she never let Keith forget that Ice didn't make it, and she forewent all chances of sleep to make sure everyone had evacuated safely. A true Ranger, Keith would call it.

He asked her, knowing that she'd rather talk about anything but being tired, "How was the patrol?"

"Not much," came the short reply. Keith could see that she wasn't wounded. She didn't have any blood on her, meaning she hadn't run into the Steelhead, or she didn't leave any evidence that she killed some.

"Well, the islands are safe with you around."

"Not safe enough, to be honest," she finally decided to inch over to him and lean her head on his shoulder. Keith had yet to make a move to bring her closer.

"You saved as much people as you could," he said consolingly. "We all did. The effort counted, and it's going to pay off."

"Ha," Kate laughed dryly. "Pay off."

Keith couldn't say he understood why she had reservations about going back to Almia, even though her name was cleared and the Union was practically welcoming her back with open arms. The stigma that followed her name still stood, and she wasn't even prepared for him to actually find her and tell her to come back. Perhaps she wasn't ready, he thought. He had hoped for too much.

He looked back at Kate nodding off on his shoulder, her eyes threatening to close. The Ranger finally wrapped an arm around her, and with this, he could feel her relax tenfold. She needed this rest, and she really did deserve it.

Before they could get settled where they were, the blare of one of their Stylers broke the silence, and the weight on his shoulder lifted simultaneously. Kate was back on her feet, the Styler's receiver already on.

"Yeah?"

"It's Murph," The Chairman's voice appeared stern. "Meeting's going to start in a few minutes."

"Understood," she said automatically. "We'll be there in a few minutes."

She turned to Keith, the sleep already disappearing from her eyes. Her intense stare dissuaded him from saying anything to make her stay and rest a bit more.

"Well, you coming?"

"Of course I am."

* * *

><p>The situation, as Murph had put it nicely, was bleak. Supplies, thank goodness, weren't going low anytime soon, but there was little they could do against the Sky Fortress that dominated the skies. The thing was mobile, and could run over to the other regions, most specifically Almia, the closest region to the islands. Even worse, it was shrouded in a barrier that couldn't be broken yet. According to Leanne's plans and interpretation of the runes, combined with Kate's archive, their small team of twenty, Rangers and uninjured ex-Pinchers, was not going to take down an entire fortress and dispatch all the Steelhead on all the islands.<p>

"That's why I'm proposing this," Murph had said at the conclusion of his overview. "We'll need to go back to Almia to bring back some reinforcements. I need my own people to help get a handle on this."

He was met with little resistance, and plans to go about executing this were simple. They were to pull out of the islands as discreetly as possible on The Union and ride all the way back to Almia at full speed. Hopefully that would take a few days, and the return trip would be just as quiet.

Keith was to accompany Murph, they all agreed, to keep the ship in order, and to protect the Chairman on his trip back. The redhead willingly complied, though he was apprehensive of how the Union will react to their return and how he and Murph could possibly persuade them, especially Professor Hastings to come over.

He was now waiting at the little cove on Renbow Island, where The Union would be departing. Murph had some unfinished business back at the shelter, so Keith was told to go before him. Kate followed him out to the place, though she never really would admit that she was going to say good bye to him and instead said that she had to look out for him with all the Steelhead out in the open. He could buy that reasoning. Those Steelhead were getting used to their newfound strength and were tougher to take down. Some of the ex-Pinchers that joined them on patrols got injured by a one when they weren't too careful.

"So what are you going to be doing while I'm away?" Keith tried to kill the time.

"We should be doing whatever Leanne said. We'll have to follow the runes' directions to take down that barrier and set the stage for the reinforcements."

Keith nodded as she talked. He wasn't around for that part of the meeting, since he was off on patrol (he was ushered out of the room for this).

"Looks like we're going to be busy these next few days," he finally said. "Wish that you came with us. I'm sure Hastings would get a kick out of seeing your face."

Kate didn't glare at him, but she clearly didn't particularly enjoy the thought of the old professor's speechless reaction.

"Well then," he added. "Do you want me to put in a good word for you when I get back?"

A pause.

"No," she put on a tight-lipped smile. "The effect will be a lot better if they didn't know."

"You want to play that game?" Keith was pleasantly content. "Okay, I'll go with whatever you suggested."

* * *

><p>One of the few places above the surface that had not been compromised by the Steelhead was the open chamber at Daybreak Ruins. The Societea had no reason to come back here, and the main entrance and exit had been shut off for several months on end already. And better yet, the great safe house had a hatch hidden in the side of the ruins here.<p>

Ben sat outside in the ruins under the palms, staring blankly at the ground as he stroked Koa's head. The little mouse loved the attention he was receiving and continued burying its face in the folds of his jacket. The safehouse underneath him was too busy, too noisy. He needed some space to breath and not think about anything. Tomorrow, he would be going outside with Summer and Kate to retrieve the Rainbow Grail, or rather, activate it.

He had remembered the Grail as a little trophy that he and Summer won when they were volunteered by Murph to play in the game as "Heroes of Oblivia" at that festival the day before Leanne and Nema were taken hostage. According to Leanne, the Grail was the key to freeing the three legendary birds that were responsible for the barrier that enveloped the Sky Fortress.

Of course, the one used at the festival wasn't real (no one should be handling an ancient artifact so carelessly), and Booker had easily given up the key to the real one, which was basically an extra few chambers away from the ones they used for the festival. Ben thought it had been simple, go to Rasp Cavern, get the Grail and hurry on back, but then Leanne added that the summoning wouldn't be complete unless the Grail was projected over the Rainbow Dais. So now the problem was that no one knew where the thing was.

"Not much was left information of the Rainbow Dais," Leanne had said. "But we do know that the only birds associated with the trio are Ho-Oh and Lugia. We can assume that the Dais were meant to summon Ho-Oh, since he commands the sky."

"So can we expect something with colorful feathers to be the Dais?" Murph had asked, and was answered with a nod while a picture of a red and green emblem had been presented to the entire room.

"Yes, we've recovered this marking on the murals, and this should be what we're looking for."

Of course, no one could pinpoint exactly where they've ever seen that emblem, if not at all, but something came up in Ben's head, as if he should have recognized the markings somewhere. The thought of him forgetting ate at him constantly for the rest of the week as he came in and out of the safe house from patrols. Maybe he should ask Kate to use her Mismagius on him to scan his memories, if that was possible.

"Can't stand staying underground?"

Ben looked up at the entrance, and saw Blue Eyes climbing out. The woman had been given more freedom to move around now that she proved her loyalty, and she was a decent companion for patrols. She didn't ask very many questions, and she was the most proficient with the gauntlets that Basil had modified for safer use. Ben could say that Blue Eyes reminded him of Kate now that he spent more time with her. A more sociable Kate, now that Blue Eyes made more of an effort to strike a conversation with people she knew long enough aside from her own men.

"It's stuffy down there."

"That's true," she joined him under the shade. "What's on your mind?"

"I was trying to remember anything about Dais."

"Oh, that?"

"Well, I was thinking it would be under the sea, since no one's ever found it, not even Kate."

"Under the sea?"

"Yeah, under the sea."

"Well, that's plausible, but the ocean's… pretty big?"

"That's the problem."

"So you're saying you saw it in the ocean."

Ben shrugged, "I just have a hunch, and it's worked for me."

"True, you are probably one of the luckiest boys I've ever met. You managed to hold your own against the Pinchers this entire time. Red Eyes… no, Kennith had thought he killed you when you first came here."

Ben recalled the first day he arrived in Oblivia and was close to drowning in the ocean. He could have been crushed by the pressure under the rubble…

"Huh. It was then."

Blue Eyes looked at him curiously. "You're remembering it then?"

"Yeah," Ben said. "It was in plain view. The wings and everything."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** _Yeah, really short. I know. It's like how my old writing used to be._


	29. Chapter 29

**Tracks of Light**

**Chapter 29**

* * *

><p>"Professor! The Union has been sighted from Nabiki Beach!"<p>

It took everything he could to not drop the coffee mug. Hastings was not surprised at all. No, correction, he was shocked, but above all, he was furious.

"The damn bastard," he muttered under his breath as he pushed past a flustered Operator to call for all hands to head to Nabiki Beach. The head scientist was waiting for this very day, after several months of no contact. He was going to give that Murph an earful, Chairman or not.

Unfortunately, the only people were Sven and Kellyn, who had just returned from a lengthy mission. The senior Ranger was about to complain, but upon the mention of Murph's name, he and his apprentice of his readily agreed to assemble. Hastings had been notified that Wendy was on the way back, so hopefully he could tell her to get to the beach as well.

The Area Rangers stationed at Vientown helped with the effort to haul The Union onto shore, and everyone watched the ships only two passengers disembark. As expected, Murph had come back, but Hastings was surprised that Keith had come after the Chairman. He was hoping the other two he sent to the islands would return, but sadly he was mistaken.

He was about to land a fist on Murph's face when the Chairman raised a hand against him and glared up at him.

"Conference room. Twelve o' clock."

Hastings retracted his arm, understanding the situation. He would have to save the questions for later. Whatever Murph needed to do was more important.

The rest of the Union who did come to see the Chairman return did exactly as they were told and arranged for a speedy trip back to the main building. Both Keith and Murph didn't speak very much on the way back, and Hastings didn't try to provoke them, since they both looked intent on holding back information until everyone arrived.

-oOo-

What Murph and Keith had described was far from believable, and Sven hadn't been part of Operation Brighton the few years back, he would have passed off this story as complete hogwash. Granted, Oblivia had been cut off from contact for the past few months, and Hastings was willing to give it a little while more before calling a full rescue squad to go fetch Keith, Ben, and Summer. That was, until Murph had recklessly gone off on his own, took The Union, and went to the islands to see the situation for himself. The moment Hastings learned that Murph had gone missing, he went ballistic and the Ranger Union was hell for a whole week, until one of the Operators found footage of the Chairman sneaking out with the ship. And then after that, Hastings was calmer, but angrier at the Chairman for shirking his responsibilities.

Sven listened to Rhythmi tapping her pen on the conference table, her lips pursed. She too was unimpressed with Murph's sudden disappearance, since whatever Murph didn't get finished was left to her. The second in command and Hastings shared each other's woes over the Chairman's irresponsible behavior and had loudly announced that they were going to lock Murph in his office until the man was through with his paperwork. But now that the man was back in an emergency meeting, the woman was visibly bitter that the punishment could not be dealt yet.

"Your story is hard to take in," Professor Hastings considered after Murph's nonstop narrative. "But since Keith is also here to confirm it, we'll believe you."

"Believe?" Murph said. "But the Sky Fortress is massive enough to be seen from Almia."

"We didn't see it," Rhythmi said. "In fact, ever since your Wireless Tower wasn't functional ever since Ben and Summer left for Oblivia, we had no information or reports from them. And none of my Operators found any unusual signs from the islands, even from the satellite data."

The color drained from Murph's face as he slumped. Keith peered down at the ground, eyebrows furrowed in frustration.

"So, it's worse," the Chairman said. "Not only did the Fortress destroy Dolce Island, it's doing this without the rest of the world noticing. The entire thing was done under an illusion."

"Well, it must be that barrier that's blocking off contact, right?" Vato joined in on the conversation. "We need to take it down."

"That's already being taken care of," Keith explained. "K- I mean, Ben and Summer are staying in Oblivia with the Area Ranger based there to take down the barrier. Rand's wife is an accomplished archaeologist, and she's solved many mysteries so far on our mission. What our job is to send reinforcements and take care of media control when the barrier falls and everyone sees the Fortress."

Oh, yes, Sven dreaded, the media. And ha, the guy stuttered.

"Thank you," Hastings turned to the Chairman. "So how will you assemble the team?"

"I'd like to know if I can borrow the Top Rangers for this job," Murph began hesitantly. "This is a delicate mission. Ben and Summer are still back there protecting the people from all the Steelhead. We'll need the best help we can."

Sven's heart fell to his stomach. He was partly eager to go and see how the kids were doing (and he was sure Kellyn felt the same way), but he he and the kid had just come back, and he was unsure whether or not another mission was a good idea. But, since Keith said the mission was a serious one…

"We'll go," he raised his hand. "Kellyn and I are technically on patrol now."

"I am also ready," Wendy followed him. From the frown of her face, Sven could tell that she was worried about Summer.

"All the other Top Rangers are on duty in other locations," Rhythmi added. "We'll send in the Area Rangers if we need to. Should I contact Vientown Base? They're the only ones off duty at the moment."

"Please do," Murph returned. "This is going to be a risky mission, and the more people, the better."

"That can be arranged," said the professor. "But under a few conditions."

The Chairman went rigid, and Sven could understand why. If Hastings requested something, it was unnegotiable. Sven was sure that everyone in the room could tell what the professor was going to say, but they kept their lips shut for the time being.

"And… what are they…?"

"You, Chairman, are to stay here on safe grounds. You are not going anywhere without my permission."

Yup. Called it.

"Whaaaat? But why?!"

"Don't think you can get away with it this time, Chairman," Rhythmi took Hasting's side. "You have a library full of paperwork, and we don't care if administrative work is boring, you are the chief, and you need to do your job."

"B-but…."

"Keith can definitely handle things over at the islands," Hastings cut off any of Murph's excuses. "You have some important duties now that you've come back. Let us handle the mission in the meantime."

Murph opened his mouth again to protest, but conceded with a sigh, his shoulders drooping.

"Fine."

The rest of the conference was spent arranging the particulars of the mission. They were going to return to the islands on The Union to keep their presence hidden until Keith said so. Hopefully by then, the kids would be done taking down the barrier and the illusion over Oblivia.

After the conference, Sven caught his good friend who stayed behind in the room with Murph, who was getting scolded by both Hastings and Rhythmi in the corner. He was glad to see Keith was well, perhaps too well. It was easy to see that the redheaded Ranger was not as gloomy or detached as he was before. A grin graced the senior Ranger's lips as he reached Keith after pushing past everyone leaving.

"Hey, how's it going, pal?"

Keith looked up at him, once again amused by the attempts to be friendly.

"Well, terribly, with this mission taking longer than usual. I wasn't expecting legendary Pokemon to get involved in this."

"Well, we've done it before. We're Top Rangers, aren't we?"

"True," the redhead could tell why Sven was dying to talk to him, and was walking around the impending question carefully, it seemed. "What do you need, Sven?"

"Oh, not much," Sven shrugged. "You've been away for months. How can I not say 'hi' to you? But you know, you're way chummier than you were at Elaine's wedding."

A pause.

"You found her, didn't you?"

A much younger Keith would have turned red in embarrassment and looked away, but this one looked at him straight in the eye.

"Yeah. She's there."

"Is this going under wraps?"

"No, she wants to keep it a surprise."

"Really?" Sven wanted to laugh. "Since when was your girlfriend the type to pull a prank? Only you would do that."

"Must be my influence, then."

-oOo-

"Ben!"

The Ranger looked up and moved aside just in time so Summer could land on the platform without stepping on him. Her Staraptor circled above the dais for a few moments before retreating back into the clouds to keep watch on its partner. Ben noticed that the girl was out of breath when she got up on her feet. She must have been in a hurry once he raised the Rainbow Dais above the water.

"Just when I noticed a rainbow shooting out of the ocean," she said. "This thing came rising up... This is the real Rainbow Dais, right?"

Her questions were answered by a distant caw. They snapped their heads towards the source, a shimmering mass of vibrant feathers and flames. The great bird soared over their heads and ascended to the skies directly above them, its piercing stare directed at the children. Koa frightfully hid behind Ben's shoes and squeaked every time the bird's wings flapped.

"Unbelievable…" Summer gasped. "I'd never thought I'd see a Ho-Oh like this…"

Ben stepped forth, hoping he wouldn't wither under the scrutiny of the legendary bird.

"Ho-Oh, please!" He said pleadingly. "Free Moltres and the others from the fortress."

The bird considered him for a moment while throwing an occasional glance to the barrier that surrounded the fortress, the three birds flying aimlessly about the drifting structure.

"_And what makes you think I can grant you that request?_"

The deep, endless voice made the hairs on Ben's back shiver. Ho-Oh was speaking? Sure, the Pokemon was almost like a god, but since when…

"_Speak, human_," Ho-Oh continued. "_Identify yourself, if you can comprehend me._"

"I…" Ben swallowed, not sure how to address himself. "My name is Benjamin Griffin, Rank 6 Top Ranger from Almia. I wish to use your power to get rid of the barrier from the Sky Fortress."

"_So you can speak_," the bird said. "_Pray tell, are you one of His children? I may not have to answer to you, but I will hear you out if you are related to my Master._"

"I don't understand what you mean."

Ho-Oh looked him over, scanning every inch of his body.

"_You know not of your role, it seems. That will be acceptable for the time being._"

The magnificent beast reared its head and flew away to the direction of the fortress. Once it was in proximity, Articuno was the first to charge headfirst at the legendary Pokemon. Ho-Oh easily batted away the smaller bird, and dispatched its two siblings just as easily. And then, with a resounding cry, the Fortress was vulnerable. Without another word, the bird flew away, never to be seen again.

Ben heard his Styler beep with a confirmation message. Opening it, he learned that another sign had been received a few seconds ago. Ho-Oh's sign, he recognized. He was still trying to absorb the fact that the bird spoke to him. It wasn't that he didn't think they weren't sentient, he just didn't think Ho-Oh was capable of that level of communication with humans…

"The barrier's down," Summer said as she rejoined him, holding Koa in her arms. The poor thing must have been scared for its life.

"Yeah," Ben said. "Hey, Summer? Did you hear whatever Ho-Oh said?"

"Huh?" Summer was perplexed. "It was only you talking to it. All he did was squawk at whatever you said."

"Oh," Ben turned away, deciding to put the matter aside. So only he could understand Ho-Oh. Once this was over, he'd have to look into this, or maybe ask Kate and Keith.

They were contacted by their friends who were still staying in the shelters underground. Some of them had risked going outside to see the Dais rise up above the water and Ho-Oh break the shields that protected the Fortress. Most of the people on the other end of the line were shouting congratulations and whooping at their little victory.

"The shining rainbow from afar freed fire, ice, and lightning from the evil ruler," Leanne said. "The 'rainbow' from that old text was definitely Ho-Oh, wasn't it?"

"The shining rainbow that came from afar..." Summer said. "In other words, Ho-Oh removed the barrier from the Sky Fortress. Now, Moltres and the others are free!"

Ben nodded in agreement, but before he could say anything more, his Styler received another call.

"Now that bothersome barrier is gone," Kate commented flatly, but Ben could hear the satisfaction in her voice. "It's time for our fated showdown. Meet me at the cove. Keith's back."

-oOo-

"Wow," Sven exclaimed. "You weren't kidding when you said there was a big-ass Fortress on top of Oblivia. Just how does that work?"

"Magic," Keith supplied almost humorously. "Hell if I know. Leanne wasn't very quick to give us details on that sort of thing."

"Regardless," Professor Hastings said. "We still have to shut it off. We'll have to figure it out later."

Wendy and Kellyn were silent for most of the trip. Both of them never liked traveling by boat, and Sven knew for sure Wendy would have preferred flying there if she had a choice to. Kellyn liked flying, too, but at least he didn't get as easily sick like the Flying Ranger. But this was Murph's orders, so they couldn't really complain. Barlow and his crew were outside of the cabin, keeping watch for any hostile Pokemon and making sure the Fortress had not detected any trespassers. The Vientown Rangers had been excited to be leaving the main continent for someplace outside of Almia. They showed up at the steps of the Union right on time or even earlier, which proved best for Hastings' schedule.

"Chief," said Vato and Nate, the scientists accompanying the head scientist. "We're approaching the cove. We've also received confirmation from the Rangers on the island. They're coming to retrieve us."

"Good," Hastings said, standing tall with his cane planted in front of him. "Tell Barlow and the others to ready the docking equipment."

"Yes, sir."

The dock was very small, just enough to lay a gangplank on the side of the ship. The Area Rangers were to carry some of the scientists equipment, which wasn't a great deal of weight, but bulky nonetheless. Those who were seasick were given a few minutes to regain their footing. Keith and Sven were to head outside to scout the area and guarantee a safe journey to the underground shelters.

Keith said nothing to him until they emerged from the end of the tunnel that led out into the grassy trail on Renbow Island. As soon as Sven stepped onto the road, he was shoved aside by a pair of strong hands, and he fell flat on his back on the dirt, the gravel scraping into his skin. He could smell the burned ends of his singed hair as he slowly got up.

"Hey!" he snapped. "What's goi-"

Keith was towering over him, his hands pulled into fists, and a massive man was lying on the ground at his feet. The man was decked out in armor, most notably a steel helmet that reminded Sven of the old versions of diving suits. So this was a Steelhead. Sven didn't feel scared of it (he's seen worse), and he understood how unsettling this character was, especially whatever he thought was oozing from the holes in the helmet.

"Just how bad are these Steelhead?"

"Not bad for me, considering who I am," the redhead, helped him to his feet. "It's trickier to take them down for a normal person. They could be lethal."

Well, that was encouraging.

"And how many of them are on this very island?"

"Fools!" A multi-dimensional voice echoed behind him, and they whipped their heads to see not one but several Steelhead.

"Shit," Sven muttered. So they're smart enough to work in groups?

"Oh yeah," Keith added. "It's worse when there's several of them at once."

"So what now?" Sven said. "You gonna do that fire snappy thing?"

"Yeah," Keith said as he reached in his pockets for gloves. "I suggest you stand back unless you want to get caught in the crossfire."

"Sure thing."

Before either of them could move, something brushed past them, and the Steelhead fell to their knees from the phantom cuts that appeared almost immediately on their arms, necks, and legs. The telltale cry of a Staraptor from above meant that help had arrived.

"Keith!"

Sven watched the two kid Rangers land on the ground softly, avoiding the pile of bodies on the ground. Neither of them looked any different from the time he last saw them at the Ranger Union on off times, but he saw the tired stares trained upon him and Keith. Keith had said that the kids were working night and day since there weren't enough people who were qualified enough to patrol the islands safely and defend themselves against the Steelhead.

"Sven!" Summer's eyes lit up. "You're here!"

"And so I am," the Ranger flashed a charming smile. "Saved our asses back there, kids. Thanks a lot."

"But we were in the air," Ben said. The kid was not a talkative one (like his teacher on his worst days), as always. Sven followed the boy's finger that pointed straight at the person who was standing amidst the bodies strewn all over the trail. The light brown hair and blue eyes was unmistakable.

"Ah," his reaction was less explosive than he intended. "So you're here, too, Kate. Thanks for the save."

"It's nothing," Kate didn't appear any surprised, either. She returned Croagunk to its Pokeball and sheathed a long blade underneath the folds of her coat, and looked expectantly at Keith, who understood the mental message.

"Everyone's still in the cove," he answered. "This way."

-oOo-

Everyone's reaction, namely Professor Hastings, was explosive when their escort showed up. The man could have lost his jaw when Kate spoke as she usually did. Hastings may have been a genius and a skilled strategist, but he would have never guessed that one of his best Rangers was hiding out in Oblivia, of all place. Keith stifled a laugh when the professor marched forward and felt Kate's hand (and face) just to make sure she was real and alive.

"Y-You..." The man stuttered. "Just where have you been, Davies?!"

"Escaping solitary confinement," she answered simply. Hastings bit his lip, remembering the false charges laid against her when she was forced to leave.

"But you've been acquitted."

"So I've heard."

While Kate walked away to address her old partners from Vientown, who were just as wide eyed as Hastings had been, the man gave Keith a peeved look . All the redhead could do was shrug in his direction.

They rushed themselves to the shelter as soon as greetings were over. The entire time, he and Kate didn't initiate any sort of conversation. They did exchange glances once in a while as the others were getting briefed on the next mission.

"And so in summary," Rand concluded his part. "We'll be sending in groups around the fortress to keep the Steelhead guarding the place busy, in the sky and on the fortress itself. The main group will enter the fortress and take down the Societea."

"I see," Hastings stroked his beard. "That should divide the line of fire. We'll go with this plan. But should we prove stronger than these Steelhead, we should close in on the fortress more."

"Duly noted, sir," Rand nodded helpfully.

Keith eyed Ben and Summer over in the corner. Along with him and Kate, those two were also assigned to be the main group to infiltrate the fortress. Both kids looked as nervous as ever, but at the same time they wore confident faces, since they have dealt with Steelhead before. He wondered if they'll have to pair up the kids apart so he and Kate accompanied either of them. It would be much safer, though that would make things less efficient.

-oOo-

Landing onto the fortress was relatively easy. The Area Rangers led by Wendy was going terribly smoothly, and no one's gotten hurt yet. Ben sighed in relief as he let Latios go, and he joined Summer and his seniors closer into the fortress. Sven and Kellyn had already successfully taken over the exterior of the fortress and got the front doors of the first chamber to open. Ben didn't really learn the details well, but he heard it was an ancient puzzle. Kellyn liked puzzles, so of course this was fast.

The four of them charged into the chamber and headed down the first corridor. Ben scanned the area ahead and behind for any passing Steelhead. Surprisingly there were few Steelhead walking in these halls. In fact, the place was quiet, and almost too quiet.

Kate and Keith, of course, were as impressive as ever. They easily beat the a Steelhead, so well that there wasn't much for Ben or Summer to fight with. He supposed that was good for the both of them, and Koa. But the a Steelhead they did run into were terribly adamant about defeating the "heroes".

"You haven't won yet," one of them warned them. "Soon, you will know the true meaning of pain."

It wasn't long that Ben realized that something was usually missing. Summer didn't have anything particularly snappy to throw back at the Steelhead this time around. The Steelhead were definitely different from the previous encounters at the ground, so reaching the Societea wouldn't be a walk in the park. While the Golden Armor stood to be the most powerful of the Steelhead (he was also mentally preparing himself to face that thing), he wondered if there was anything between a regular Steelhead and the Golden Armor itself.

Once they started ascending the stairs, the Steelhead they faced sounded less conscious of their actions. All they talked about was how they gave up their role as the Pokemon Pinchers, their armor exhibiting true power, the Rangers' doom, and how Oblivia had a new ruler. The four of them disregarded those eerie messages and simply took them down if they tried to attack.

The Pokemon that were sent out proved even stronger than before, so Koa got to play his part. Ben could never be any prouder of his little partner every time the mouse performed his little song. A month down in the safe house gave him more time to learn more songs, ones that Pokemon loved and were passed down by the locals for generations. The Pokemon they faced were more willing to calm down thanks to those new songs, and capturing them was even less challenging.

-oOo-

Edward was not frustrated in the slightest. He was the Great Thinker of their group. Surely, he had contingency plans. And the Steelhead's report essentially proved to his companions why they needed contingency plans.

"I see," he turned to his partners, excusing the Steelhead. "Even the Ancient Steelhead were no match for those Rangers."

"They are rather special ones, Ed," said Arley. "Even the look in their eyes is different when I first met them at Cocona Village."

"Ah," Hocus mused. "I wish I still had their youthful power. Just like we had been before."

"But, youth sometimes leads to foolish mistakes," Kasa said grimly. "Remember what happened with us?"

Edward nodded in agreement. It was their youth that caused Societea to disband, their inexperience that let themselves be used. Looking back on it now, they were reckless in believing what was given them, that power that came with obedience. Had they defied the masters, they would have kept what they deserved.

"Watching those Rangers reminds me of us when we were younger," Edward smiled. "Let's give them a demonstration of the Golden Armor's power as a little warning."

Arley cracked the knuckles of his fist, readying for battle. He didn't need words to show that he agreed with the idea.

"The golden gauntlet on my right arm," Kasa eyed the plated metal. "I love how fashionable it is, too."

"The grew of us are more than enough," Hocus added. "Boss shouldn't need to make an appearance. Who would go first?"

"How about…" Edward suggested. "Letting the Rangers choose the order in which they right you? Split up. Then, each one of you should wait in a different place."

Kasa, ever only impressed with her friend, smirked at his idea.

"You always think of such charming ways to do things. Nicely done, Ed."

She slunk away from them first, still showing off her alluring persona even at her old age.

Hocus turned to Arley, "No hard feelings toward the person who defeats them first."

"Agreed."

"All right then," the magician waved his wand. "Let's have a fantastic time taking care of them in our own way!"

-oOo-

"So this is the door that leads upstairs. Just like the map said!"

Ben could hear Koa gasp in amazement at the very large doors that had no handles, just stone with long indented cuts slashed across it. He could only imagine them decorated in the light blue that usually emanated from active Involiths. As of now the doors were not active, though the area of cleared dust around the cracks suggested otherwise.

"A pretty grand set of doors," Keith supplied. "Like a final dungeon, if you ask me."

Summer was the first to agree with him, while Kate said nothing. Keith looked at the ex-Ranger for answers.

"Well, how do we open it?"

Kate pointed to the two other doorways that have been open, most likely for them.

"It's the usual ancient puzzle," she explained. "We go into the rooms where there are seals, and break them. You should already know how this works already."

"Okay," Summer stepped in first. "Ben and I will take one door, you will take the other?"

"Good idea," Keith quickly joined Kate's side. "See you then!"

The two Rangers were gone from where they stood and had already sprinted into the corridor on their right before Ben could say anything back to his mentor. He exchanged glances with Summer, shrugged, and started on their way to their own assigned door.

"Ben! Summer! Wait a second!"

The two of them turned around and saw two figures running towards there directions. Ben immediately recognized the voice, and they spun round to see the Ranger they expected, along with someone shorter.

"Rand?"

The shorter one jumped. "I tagged along, too!"

Ben could see the color drain from Summer's face. Because why was Nema here?

"And even Nema!" Summer looked at the little girl in amazement. "How did you manage to get in here?"

"Papa and everyone rode on a Staraptor," the girl explained. "And I came on a Z.Z. Flyer!"

Rand look exasperated, though he looked rather guilty that he couldn't keep an eye on his child. Ben could tell that the two of them have just talked through whether or not Nema can go, and he could tell who won the argument.

"I never would've suspected Nema was following me," was his saddened explanation.

"I was so worried about whether or not your Stylers were charged!" Nema exclaimed. "Basil's still well enough, and I couldn't just stand around anymore. Papa's got really mad at me, though."

The four of them stood in silence as Rand collected his thoughts about the matter. Ben could tell that he didn't want his daughter out here in the danger zone, but he couldn't deny how useful she would be in the field out here with them.

"I'm going to search outside and join the others and weaken the fortress's capacity to attack," her father turned around reluctantly, implying his approval. "Nema, stay here and provide support for them."

Nema could not be any more happier.

"Okay, Papa! They'd be in a lot of trouble they couldn't use their Stylers! I'll hide here, so if you need me, come talk to me, okay?"

"Okay," Summer smiled at the little girl as she tried to wedge herself in the big enough gap in the rocks. "Kate and Keith went on ahead. We'll call them to tell them you're here."

"Summer," Ben urged his partner. "Let's go."

"R-right."

-oOo-

"Laaadies and gentlemen!"

"And of all things," Keith mutters under his breath. "We get the clown."

Hocus replied with an irritated scowl. Keith couldn't help it. The guy just couldn't be taken seriously, especially when he never dressed for the occasion of combat. He looked like he was going to perform a show on the spot, of all places.

"So you're guarding the seal," Kate drew her gun. She had abandoned the blades this time for the mission, and brought extra support instead. Croagunk, Infernape, and Empoleon sprang from their Pokeballs lining her belt. The magician shrunk in fear for a while, but he feigned amusement.

"Nothing up my sleeve but a hello!" he said. "Welcome to the miraculous Hocus show! I'll be your guide to a world of mystery!"

"Enough," Kate didn't wait for him to finish his sentence as she charged forth. She motioned for Infernape and Croagunk to go first while she and Keith followed behind. Empoleon was to fall back and provide backup with the Buizel case Hocus had the funny thought of leaving. For once Hocus wasn't scared, and was rather gleeful that she chose this course of action.

"My first illusion is called on the cloud," he smirked. "Eins! Zwei! Drei!"

With a snap of his fingers, Keith stumbled back into place before he could fall right off the edge of a… cloud?

He looked at Kate's equally confused stare up ahead, which was nothing but clouds and the rest of the heavens. Actually, the place didn't even look like the sky at all. He was sure they had been planted into the universe of cute singing little ponies and pastel rainbow waterfalls, whatever that show the kids were obsessing over these days. But still… clouds?

Keith looked wildly about them. Nothing but clouds. And where were the Pokemon? He was sure Kate's partners were just beside them not too long ago.

"Wh-What's happening?" He looked over the edge and found only more clouds. "Why are we in the clouds?!"

"Are you amazed?" Hocus's voice boomed from above them. "This illusion is a miracle among miracles! Pleas enjoy your stroll through the clouds! Well then, I'll take off for now. Farewell, until the next show! Please take care not to fall! Ho Ho Ho Ho!"

"He's just a magician, right?" Keith tested his steps on the clouds, just to be sure that he wouldn't fall down through puffs of water vapor.

"Hm," Kate said. "The Societea was well known for creating elaborate illusions during their thieving days."

"Oh, so a psychic who posed as a magician," he gave the clouds one hard jump. Yup. Physics has been broken.

"We'll have to break the illusion by finding Hocus himself," Kate said as she headed down the straightforward path. "That is, if he's still here. Our Pokemon are probably under the illusion as well, and we can't see them."

-oOo-

Summer wanted to slam her fist against the stone door, but opted against hurting her hand before the fight started. Just their luck to go through the room and let the door close on them, or rather, get a large slab of rock drop on their heels as soon as they took one single step inside.

"The exit has been sealed off," the Ranger stated and joined Ben and Koa.

They wordlessly walked down the stone corridor, which was a surprisingly easy task. No traps, not evil minions, none of those Steelhead stomping from the opposite direction. Summer was more worried about getting back than finding the actual seal at this point.

That is, until they ran into a huge voltage barrier that was set up smack in the middle of the corridor. Scratch out the "easy" now.

Ben walked towards the barrier and stretched its hand out to the thing, and of course, he took a big leap back away, seething and waving his almost fried hand.

"No use," he said. "Even my own skin can't handle this."

"That could be a problem," Summer shrugged. "Looks like we'll have to find another route."

She looked to the rest of the corridor for any other points of entry. And she did. Tucked off in the corner of the entire chamber. She could have sword it was just a window of light, but it was a bona fide door that didn't require climbing to get through.

Ben noticed this at the same time, and Koa chirped at him to go.

"Hey, wait!" Summer reached out to him. "Don't go so fast!"

She narrowly missed his arm, and she could have sworn she heard a regretful

"Shit" when he completely disappeared from what she could see from the door that led outside.

-oOo-

"Don't you ever get tired of making fun of us?"

"Well then, how about I give you a demonstration of some magic I've saved for a special occasion. It's sure to win me some applause."

Keith loved puzzles. Hell, he kept a sudoku book in his jacket pocket to keep himself amused when he was on long flights, but this was making him sick to the stomach. He and Kate have already been walking, for hours likely, all over this "heaven" and all Hocus had given them were puzzles. Fairly easy ones (he's done harder ones before), but the fact that there were so many was starting to piss him off.

"Yeah, I applaud you the time you finally end the damn show," Keith shot back as he ran alongside Kate, who had said nothing at all since the beginning of this entire ordeal.

"Don't get too impressed, boy," Hocus's voice echoed from all directions. "This is in a different league than those parlor tricks for kids in Tilt Village."

And now finally. Finally. The magician shows up where he should be, right in their way. Of course, he's enjoying this more than everyone else.

Hocus waved the wand in his hand that wasn't wearing a bulky golden gauntlet, and a good number of boxes decorated in question marks. Wow, so an actual magic trick this time?

"Now, here I've prepared the mysterious boxes," the illusionist explained. "For this magic, I will need a volunteer. Young lady over there, you'll be participating in this trick!"

And then a bullet flew right through the man's head. Keith looked around in awe and horror as Kate was kicking in mid-air, trying to regain her bearings as she readied her gun to shoot again. Of course, the real Hocus was not this one, and Keith was tempted to burn the entire room alive just to find the guy.

"Here we go! One! Two! Three! Go!"

Snap.

She was now thin air.

"Kate!" Keith waved at nothing and threw a murderous glare at his opponent. "Hey! Where did you hide Pichu?"

"Ho Ho Ho Ho!" Hocus giggled, predictably. "It's nothing to worry about! Now then, let's take a break from magic and enjoy a simple test. Appropriately titled... The 'Where's Your Princess?' test! That little Pichu is in one of the mysterious boxes scattered over the clouds. So which of the boxes could it be in? How about it? You can easily find it, right? Then please do your best!"

"Really?" Keith's eyebrows arched, and he pointed at the first one he thought was the right one. "It's that one."

And surely, the lid of the box was flung open, and a very irate Kate stepped out, her gun raised at Hocus. Now since when was both their luck this good?

"Wow," Keith said aloud. "Didn't think I'd get it the first time."

"And if I haven't mentioned this," she muttered. "I am not a princess."

"Well, I wasn't the one who called you that, dearest," Keith answered and continue to glare at the man. "Okay, I've had it! I'm going to get that two-bit trickster for this! We're sick and tired of your goddamn puzzles."

All Hocus had to give the both of them was a warmhearted smile.

"That's wonderful, children! These two superbly came up with the correct answer, so I will use a rope for some escape magic…"

"Please stop this," Kate warned him as she stepped closer to him. "Your magic is nothing more than simple tricks for children."

The smile was dropped quickly, and Hocus brandished his wand dangerously.

"That is quite a harsh comment from the children who just fell for these simple tricks. Very well, then. If you don't like magic, then let's make this the last trick."

The sky grew dark, and the winds became stronger. Keith clung to his jacket, to shield himself from the cold air that blew right past him, while Kate struggled to reach him. Hocus rose into the air, and wait, he was getting bigger?

"This is my first time performing it in front of an audience, so please don't get angry on this off chance that it doesn't work right," assured the fifty foot magician of Societea. "Well then, let's begin! This is a truly big illusion, and it's called The Sky-High illusion! One! Two! Three! Go!"

Keith heard Kate sigh exasperatedly beside him and she grabbed his hand as they marched down the column of clouds. She was understandably irritated with the magician's tricks, and she would not stand to be made to play by his rules. But as much Keith would want to help her, just how were the two of them going to break the illusion and kill the bastard?

"Hey-"

"Shhh."

The redhead closed his mouth absently and continued to let himself be led around the place, and then she stopped right at a dead end of the room of the heavens. She let go of his hand and jumped right off the clouds and into the sea of more clouds.

"Kate!"

She didn't hear him, and as she dropped, she raised her gun at a certain cloud and filled the thing with bullets. The cloud danced where it stayed, effectively dodging whatever she shot at it.

Confirmed.

Keith watched as the ex-Ranger swam in the air towards the discovered cloud (as if physics applied anymore) and land a hard kick at its center, and suddenly the sky shattered to pieces and faded when everything was reduced to mere shambles of illusionary cardboard and paper. Keith blinked again and saw that they were back in the chamber again, and saw Kate standing over the fallen figure of the magician, who wheezed and had collapsed from exhaustion.

"So my big illusion was a failure," Hocus was heard muttering. Kate was not merciful when she kept her gun trained on the man.

"Responding to the invitation from Edward in the first place was your mistake," She said. "The last time I remembered, your real happiness using magic to make kids smile."

Hocus let out a mirthless chuckle as he rolled onto his back. Keith could tell he was falling unconscious soon.

"That hits pretty close to home, missy," he said. "But there's no… going back now. Some things are possible… for even a magician!"

"Your show's over," Kate continued. "A waste of your talent, really."

"Yup," Hocus didn't seem to regret anything in the slightest. "That's the end of my show, huh? See you next time, then… Nothing up my sleeve but a good-bye…"

His head lolled to the side, now that he was now sleeping as soundly as a baby. Safer to approach, Keith thought.

When he drew nearer, he noticed that the magician had no severe injuries, or any bullet wounds, so he must have dodged those things pretty well, and fast. That was strange.

"There's the seal," Kate pointed at the stone step on the ground and walked away to deal with it. Keith was left alone to look back at the unconscious man on the ground. He looked around and saw the Pokemon from their side knocked out, too. Wait, was that Hocus's doing? So not only was the guy a magician, but also a hypnotist?

"The seals done," the ex-Ranger returned, refilling the magazine of her gun with more bullets. The fallen Pokemon returned into their respective Pokeballs in a flash of red lightning, and she turned on her heel to get out. Keith gave the magician one last look before running off to join her, picking up the prone body of his Buizel along the way.

"Well, that was fast," he remarked. "Reminds me of that time we had to find the keys to open the gate back at Altru Tower, except faster."

"Hm."

"You know, that Hocus guy?" Keith assumed a relaxed gesture as they walked. "He hypnotized our little buddies when we were under the illusion- Wait how did you know Hocus was there?"

"My eye," Kate answered immediately. "It's primitive at seeing things as of now, but technology aren't affected by the mystical things."

"Oh. Pretty impressive."

"What as more impressive, however," she added. "Was how Hocus made those illusions come true. I'm surprised he did that without the help of Pokemon."

"Oh yeah. Come to think of it, just how does work? Making illusions without Pokemon. What's your best guess?"

"He could be like us," Kate said. "Test subjects, or something else. It's the only good explanation for psychic abilities in humans."

"Haha. Just watch, he'll be like some deity who came to test us or something."

"Wonderful!" Hocus's voice came back. "That calmness is truly wonderful! Let's give them a warm round of applause!"

The two of them turned around, and indeed, the magician had recovered all too quickly and was standing where he was lying down. His grin stretched to the sides of his face, rather too uncanny for Keith's comfort, and his gloves clapping together made things sound more hollow, and empty.

"You're fast," Kate commented on his recuperation.

"Not even a scratch can touch a master Houndini!" the magician grinned even wider. "Good job, but just so you know, we'll be waiting for you back at the end of this fortress. By then we can-"

Hocus clutched his throat as he began to stagger where he stood. Keith stepped forward in concern, trying to understand how the man was choking. That went away quickly when blood started dribbling from the corner of his mouth and he slumped to the ground, his back adorned by a shiny knife stuck right in the center, point first.

"O-oh…" Keith had no urge to vomit, but clearly this was going nothing near perfect.

"On your guard," Kate commanded him, and he crouched into a cautious stance, his back up barely up against Kate's. Their preparedness was met with the dwindling breath of the dying magician. Keith dug into his pockets for the fire gloves. At the very least, he could set everything on fire, so the culprit would roast themselves alive before they needed to act. As long as they needed to get out…

"Hey, Kate," he finally spoke. "How do you think we…"

The redhead was only talking to thin air when he turned around. Wildly looking around, he found no one. This has got to be a joke, right?

"Wha-"

-oOo-

A/N: Haha, so many more noticeable gaps already. The ending will be in one or two chapters, so thank goodness.


	30. Chapter 30

**Tracks of Light**

**Chapter 30 (Final)**

* * *

><p>Ben stirred awake to the sensation of something wet running alongside his cheek, followed by a faint crackle of electricity. A groan escaped his lips as he pushed himself from the floor, trying to blink away the headache he probably got from the fall. Koa leapt off his shoulder and was beginning to squeak incessantly, which didn't do very much good for his headache already.<p>

He squinted blearily at where he had dropped. Three stories, huh? The Ranger swung his arms to test his muscles. Nothing damaged, thankfully. He was lucky.

"Pi…"

Koa looked up at him expectantly for an answer. All Ben could do was shrug.

"A way out?" he said to it. "It'll take a while."

The Pichu shook its head furiously and then directed his attention to a doorway exactly at their level. Even luckier.

"Impressive, Koa," he picked up his little partner. "That saved us a few hours."

The door that let him in, predictably, closed in on him when he was completely inside the room, which was poorly lit by red light that was fastened along the wall. Koa was quick to get off of his shoulder and scamper towards the direction of the red lights. It stopped dead in front of it, and Ben read an expression of awe and fear from the little Pokemon. He scanned the room for anything to look out for before joining Koa at the columns of red light that was far too advanced to be set in this fortress. When he came in clear view of the biggest tube, he understood why his partner was so afraid.

"T-That's…" he breathed.

Mewtwo. He only heard of this Pokemon in textbooks, seen blurry photos of the creature, not in person like this. And then Ben remembered about the general Ranger conference he and Keith went to a few months back, not long before they departed for Oblivia. And one of the panels was about the worldwide backup plan in the case that Mewtwo should ever wreak havoc. The protocol was no different than regular emergencies, but should the government ever release an alert on its escape, they would have to be prepared to deal with an unstable psychic Pokemon that could easily tear a human apart.

Ben had always wondered that since he wasn't the normal type, a Black Water prototype and all, if he could withstand Mewtwo's psychic powers. Maybe so, Keith had once told him. It had never been tested (his mentor flat out refused to place his charge in a life threatening situation like that), but since he was in no position to issue an alert, he'd have to think about it. Hopefully not.

Ben took note of the stairs that led upwards. Hopefully this would take him right to the chamber where he fell out of. Where Summer was. He hoped she was all right.

"Koa," he called out to his partner. "Let's get going."

The Pichu gave the sleeping Mewtwo one last look before scurrying after him. The climb was a relatively blind effort, and Ben was regretting not snatching one of the torches back at the foot of the stairs to make navigation easier. Even if he was able to sense where the steps were, he could not be comforted that his body was basically moving on its own and already a step ahead of his mind.

Ben assumed that they must have stepped on a triggered flight of stairs when the top of the winding staircase opened to a sliding trapdoor that led to the next floor. Once he emerged to the new room, he came to face with the stone statue of a stylized Pokemon. Now he remembered where this was. This was the first chamber he and Summer couldn't get past, with the high energy barrier that even he couldn't pass through.

"Ben?!"

The Ranger whirled around and spotted the strawberry blonde girl coming his way. Startled by her fuming expression, he expected for a hard slap to his face, but it never came.

"What did you think you were doing?" She scolded him instead. "Reusing ahead on your own, falling, and leaving me behind! That's what you get when you're in too much of a hurry."

Koa let out a guilty little whimper and head behind his hair. Ben understood his poor partner. Summer was scary when things went bad, in a panicky way or a furious way.

"I'm sorry," Ben said sheepishly. "I didn't think I'd fall three stories."

Summer considered his apology, and shook her head exasperatedly before she let him go.

"Be careful from now on," she chided him finally. "I was alone, and it wasn't fun."

"I'm sorry," Ben averted his gaze. "By the way, the trapdoor where I came from opened on its own. I thought I stepped on a switch…"

"Oh, that's right!" Summer cut in and pointed at a slightly raised tile on the ground next to the Pokemon statue. "Ben, these yellow switches appeared after you fell... I wonder if they have anything to do with the path to the right being blocked off. Shall we try stepping on the switch for now?"

Ben quirked his eyebrow at his friend. Something was a little off about Summer, now that he realized how terse she sounded. She could be angry, but not this bad. Summer was never a passive-aggressive person when it came to venting out steam when it came to disagreements. And who uses "shall" anymore?

He crushed the thought a moment later. He shouldn't be over-analyzing the situation. That would just waste more time he already probably accosted the group. Kate and Keith probably were done by now.

"Okay," he played along, addressing the three tiles laid before them. "Which one do we try first?"

"I'm positive that it's be switch in the middle!"

Very confident, Ben noted. Since he was out for quite a while, Summer probably tried out these tiles on her own, though he couldn't understand why she would go around getting him to figure this entire thing out for himself. Summer was not one for puzzles.

Just to humor her, he went and stepped on the middle switch, and then all hell broke loose.

Koa squeaked in surprise as it was launched into the air by the tiles it was standing over, just as it was hurtling into a field of spikes that had come out of the floor. Ben quickly reached out and caught his little partner before he could get skewered, and held it safely to his chest. Thank goodness the mouse didn't venture off too far into the field. He wouldn't know how he could save it.

"I'm so sorry," Summer rushed to his side. "It appears to have been a trap!"

"Yeah," Ben agreed, and set Koa on his shoulder. "I guess we'll have to go through this one, and stay beside me."

Navigating the traps was fairly easy, since all they did was follow a simple pattern that alternated between the panels. Ben observed Summer discreetly, noticing that she was not at all focused on her surroundings like she should. She had been acting rather strange for these past few minutes, like really strange.

They came across another set of switches, and Ben was glad there was only two. It's a fifty to fifty chance now.

"Okay," He said cautiously. "Since we know you hate puzzles, I'll do the checking, all right?"

"Oops."

Ben watched with a dropped jaw as Summer had already stepped on one of the tiles, and much to his bad luck, a Voltorb crashed onto the ground, shooting off sparks as it identified Ben as the closest thing it should blow up. The Ranger scowled as he ran about the room trying to capture it as quickly as possible, and Koa was struggling to overcome Voltorb's electric current with its own to calm it down.

Fortunately, the electric Pokemon was feasible to defeat, and Ben sent Summer a withering look. She didn't help at all, if he remembered.

"Oh my," she finally said. "That was a trap, too, huh? I'm sorry."

"Yeah," Ben said with a severe face. "Sorry's more like it."

He stepped on the untouched button, and the next barrier or trap was disabled soundly. Ben wanted to sigh in relief, but he had to be careful of Summer now. She was never this much of a troublemaker as a Top Ranger. He was starting to think she inhaled some sort of gas when he was out.

They reached the next corridor and lo and behold, a single button was left in wait. The passage was relatively clean of traps when he gave it a once over. Ben then was about to cross the corridor when a pair of hands shoved him right on the right tile where he could have been crushed by a massive iron block if it hadn't been for his own skills and Koa's shrieking and furious pointing to the ceiling. At this point, Ben wasn't even surprised who had pushed him.

Summer, on the other hands, was giggling like a giddy schoolgirl. She didn't even shrink under his glare.

"Sorry!" Her voice was not in the slightest regretful. "I thought I was going to fall, and I accidentally pushed you back!"

Ben let out a small scowl as he got back on his feet. This really wasn't Summer at all, if he thought about it, but he wanted to deny it. He couldn't really imagine what was done to Summer for her to act reckless, so callous, in the span of what, like a few hours?

He took out a Pokeball and called out Kate's Bastidon, and together, they dispatched the block to make way for them to keep going. Summer immediately praised him for his strength, which was odd because she already knew that. Ben could tell this was no Summer, but he had to keep ignoring her, pretending that he could see right through it. Something happened to Summer, and he was going to have to find out.

-oOo-

The waiting proved to be worth every single second of it. Ben's fears were confirmed when he stepped into what he thought was the last chamber. He had found Summer crumpled on the floor, not severely wounded, but at the very best unconscious. And that did it. He wasted no time facing the imposter and slugging her in the face, hard enough to send her hurtling across the room.

To his expectations, not-Summer rose back on her feet, a demented grin plastered over her face.

"Oh my…" she breathed, "This is no good."

"Ben!"

Said Ranger whirled around and saw his partner was slowly getting up. Her hair was a little frazzled, so he had to wonder if Koa had shocked her awake. Despite this, her awakening was perfect timing.

"Aww," not-Summer falsely bemoaned. "My disguise was perfect!"

"Wrong," Summer growled. "You probably didn't play the part right."

Ben was about to come forth and deal with the imposter, but Summer was faster. She raced forward, and with just her hands and lips, she whistled out a small tune. Ben and not-Summer were not sure what she was about to do until a great many shadows loomed over the great glass dome of the chamber, shattering all the windows at once.

A flood of wings streamed into the chamber and formed a whirlwind around the imposter. Ben heard a surprised cry from in the mass of birds, realizing they were tearing apart the fabric and false skin that made up not-Summer's disguise. He glanced back at Summer, who was now rejoined by her own Staraptor partner, and the two of them observed quietly as the birds finally parted from their victim. Now that Ben could see who was responsible for the mix-up, he could see how badly they had been fooled.

"Kasa!" Summer roared. "So you're the one who knocked me out!"

The Societea's master of disguise didn't have much left to hide.

"Yes, that's right," she taunted them. "It was all I could do to keep from laughing that you fell for such obvious acting. I'd love to play with you a bit longer, but how about we end this? Let me give you a taste of what it feels like when those Pokemon are your enemy!"

She waved her hand absently, and out of the broken glass stepped the three Pokemon Ben had least expected to see. The Legendary Beasts began to circle the two Rangers and their partners, teeth bared and snarling.

"Listen," Summer said. "I'll take Raikou. You take the other two. Got it?"

Ben stiffened, not really used to Summer telling him instructions, but he nodded in agreement. He leapt into the air to avoid a fireball that was aimed in his direction and released his Capture Disc in mid-air while Koa began his song.

The capture was long and arduous, but bad enough for either of them to get any new wounds. Ben had no trouble, since he was always faster, but Summer was surprisingly doing much better on her own. She had managed to calm down the Raikou and was already helping him take out Suicune with her army of birds. How she did that, he'll have to ask later.

He could tell that Kasa didn't expect either of them to win this fight. The woman was obviously despondent when the Legendary Beasts backed down and returned to their original form as Ditto again.

"I can't believe I lost," the woman let her shoulders hang. "It feels like my beloved walk-in closet has been emptied out…"

"Wearing fancy items and disguises is fine," Summer suggested. "But how about using this as an opportunity to take a good look at who you really are?"

Kasa gasped in surprise at the Ranger's advice, but she scoffed and snapped her fingers. The door Ben had arrived in reopened again, letting them escape.

"Quite a know-it-all kid," she said to Summer. "Go ahead. I won't bother you any longer…"

"As you should," Ben finally said, and he slapped cuffs on the woman's wrists. "There's a squadron of Area Rangers waiting outside for you to take you into custody. Be on time."

-oOo-

After they left the chambers, sure that Kasa was left in the hands of the Area Rangers, they were back at the main door again. Summer considered for a moment, looking at Ben as he tried to gather his bearings to go into the last chamber. When he returned the gaze and noticed what she was doing, she felt her face grow hot and she turned away from him.

"What's wrong?"

"Ben…" she thought about it a little while. "I'm sorry getting caught. Kasa, she… pretending to be you before knocking me out. Just to make sure, though... Are you sure you're the real Ben?"

"Yes," Ben said. "Summer, you're a good partner. Maybe a little afraid of lightning, but a good partner nonetheless. Is that enough proof for you?"

"T-Thanks," The Ranger bit her lip, feeling her eyes watering. This was ridiculous. She was crying over nothing, even though they had won that battle. He had implied that she didn't fail him, yet she felt that she really didn't do her best. If only…

"Speaking of which," Ben asked. "What was going on when you… summoned an entire legion of Wingull and Staravia? I didn't know you were into that stuff."

"I just learned it," Summer explained. "From some of the locals."

She didn't really divulge very much information, but it was enough for Ben to understand. The smile on his face warmed her heart a little more. He was proud of her. What she had done was worth it. Approaching Supurna those few days ago was not a mistake after all.

"Guys!" A child's voice called out to them. Nema had run out of her hiding place and was coming their way, her portable Styler Recharger waving in the air.

"Nema!" Summer chided the younger girl. "We were going to go to you? Why did you go out of your hiding place!"

"It's the last stretch, Summer," the little scientist defended. "I'm going to go with you. The Area Rangers are here with us, too, so I'll be safe in the open."

"Yeah, but they're going back, not with us," Ben added. "You should go back after recharging our Stylers. We'll be fine. There's electric Pokemon that could restore our equipment if we want to."

"That's for me to decide, not you," Nema then pointed to the main door. "It looks like one of the seals on the door was broken! Man! It was hard trying to get to you! I can't reach Dad or any of the others!"

"The others?" Summer raised an eyebrow. "You mean Kate and Keith aren't back yet? That's weird. We took longer than they did."

"That'll be on them," Ben said. "What could also be the case is that they went through that third door before us. We should just go ahead and walk back there."

Summer agreed, "Let's hope they're already done with whoever they're facing there."

-oOo-

Arley's feet gave up from under him, doubling over at the waist. That kid kicked hard, despite how much training and endurance the wrestler had built up on over the many years he's lived. He shuddered as a pair of feet walked into his vision as he was fixated on the ground. His eyes rose to meet the other, in awe at just how menacing a simple child could look like. Edward and Kasa were right. This child truly was a product of the gods, the perfect candidate.

"I-I never dreamed you were this good," he wheezed, but he made no struggle to get up. "To think… that you would beat me."

What had occurred was exactly what he meant. He had set various Pokemon on Ben and his partners, but they managed to deal with their obstacles with ease. Even when Ben ran out of support Pokemon, he resorted to using his own strength against the mighty Regigigas. And he still had energy to face Arley himself.

"You rely on power too much!" Summer called out to him. As for her, Arley did not really see any reason to be reverential to her. She was a brat, through and through. She was nothing like Ben here. From what he knew, she never went through what her friend went through. It was charming to see she was able to command so many birds with just a few songs (he refused to admit that was impressive, since Hocus could do a lot better), but she lacked the right mind. She always aimed to please, not protect. She was not fit to be in the role the Societea laid out for them.

"You felt that yourself," Ben finally spoke to him. "Didn't you?"

Arley looked back at the Ranger, reading the hopeful look on his face. What type of answer was he expecting? For this, he did not know what to say, and he was most likely going to disappoint the boy for not having any response.

Before he could open his mouth, he watched Ben's face drain of color and back away slowly from him. Summer was also having the same moment, taking the boy's little Pichu and cradling it from view. Arley noticed that the boy was staring at his torso. His green garments were stained red, and a long blade was the cause of it all. He couldn't feel the burning feeling yet, but the idea of a sword protruding from his stomach was not helping.

"How insolent," a familiar voice appeared from behind him, and he tried to turn around, the sensation of the blade worsening as he did so. His discovery was less than pleasant.

"Y-You…"

"Of course it is me," Purple Eyes hadn't even bothered to hide himself when he withdrew his blade and swung for his head.

-oOo-

Ben didn't disturb Summer as she sat in the corner with her Staraptor and Koa. Nema didn't understand what the girl was grieving about, but she did her best to comfort her. Rand and Sven had come back the moment Ben had called for him, and the boy explained the situation in detail to the two men. Summer was in no state to go with him to the next part, not after what she had witnessed.

He was met with surprise from both of them when he finally explained that Arley was dead. Sven immediately ran back to the now open chamber to confirm the body and came out, shaking his head to Rand. The older Ranger slumped in defeat.

"That man is dangerous," Ben said about Purple Eyes. "But to think he'd go this far…"

"Rand and I'll go with you," Sven asked the boy. "But what about you, Ben? Are you okay?"

"What do you mean?"

"You just saw a man decapitated," the Ranger exclaimed incredulously. "And you're not bothered at all?"

Was he bothered by it? He wanted to say yes, but he wasn't ready to burst into tears. For some reason, watching Arley die was nothing compared to what Ben did back when… he was imprisoned with Kellyn and Basil, when he hurt both of them, or when he watched all the other kids fail to assimilate to the earlier samples of Black Water. It was a pity he felt this way, but he couldn't do anything about it.

"I've seen worse," he supplied. "And this probably isn't the beginning. He might be targeting the rest of the Societea at this rate…"

"Ben!" Crawford called in on his Styler, overriding the call feature. "The suspect! I'm sorry, but the lady's dead."

Ben watched Rand stiffen, shocked that the news would come so soon. He and Sven exchanged glances, realizing things had come to worse.

Sven turned to the panicked Area Ranger on the Styler, "How?"

"Someone stabbed her when we weren't looking! If only I were more careful…"

"It's fine," the Ranger reassured his friend. "We'll deal with it after we get out of here."

"Yeah, that should be fine," the man frowned in concern. "Oh, and I tried to call Kate and Keith about it, but they didn't reply. What's up with that?"

"They're missing at the moment," Sven answered. "But I think Summer and I met the person responsible for it. I think it's our killer here."

"So what now?"

"Sven, Rand, and I are going to head into the main chamber," Ben explained. "We're sending Summer back if we have to. Give her a shock blanket when she comes out."

"Okay," Crawford nodded. "I'll alert the other Rangers to take care of themselves. You guys stay safe."

Communications were shut off when the conversation ended, and the men were about to go away when they heard a pair of feet approaching them.

"I'm going."

Ben looked at Summer, who didn't look much better than when they had gotten out of Arley's chamber. She still looked deathly pale, but the harsh glare on her face suggested otherwise.

"Summer," Rand tried to persuade her. "You're not able to-"

"You don't have to worry about me," Summer said. "But I won't just abandon my mission by just one or two deaths."

"Let the kid come along," Sven shrugged. "The more the merrier. We have no idea how good the next boss is."

-oOo-

In a strange world of a long desert, echoes of heavy footsteps resounded in the endless walls. A strong trail of red followed after the two, but the crimson carpet faded away after a while, leaving nothing behind. The feet that carried another were getting slower and slower as the hours passed. Her legs gave way, and they fell to the floor, the strength in their legs lost entirely. Kate struggled to get up, her fingers

"Your legs," she asked him. "You okay?"

Keith's eyes flitted about aimlessly, as he couldn't see anything past a few feet of his face.

"I can't feel anything," he whispered back. "It's not… much of a problem, thought."

"That's good," Kate strained her throat. She hadn't made any effort to use it for what felt like a few days or months. She couldn't see anything much herself, but at least she still had enough strength to crawl. They couldn't remember much, other than sitting the dark with Purple Eyes looming over them. He asked many things, but neither of them had any answers and long after that they were kicked into this hell of a wasteland.

"Kate?"

"Hm?"

"You know, I never really told you," Keith was going talk for as long as he liked. If he was going to die, he could at least waste however many words he had left.

"Told me what?"

"That Rhyth and Isaac's wedding's going to be in a week. To think we've been here for about three months already… I nearly forgot about it."

A pause.

"And?"

"Well, Isaac wanted me to be his best man and I said yeah," he imagined himself in a suit. "Plus I was going to ask you to be the bridesmaid… Don't tell Rhyth I said that. It was meant to be a surprise."

"Yet you brought the entire Union here."

"Well, I didn't mention you at the meeting, now did I?"

The ground was starting to feel like sand, or clouds, a lot more comfortable than whatever they fell on the first time they set foot here. There was a sun, but it beat hard on their prone bodies.

"So what do you say? Want to come home now that this is over?"

"I've… I've given it some thought."

A small smile graced Keith's lips. He reached out for her hand, barely even having the strength to grasp it. They were not really human, but they did have limits. They were torches compared to the little candles that other people were. Perhaps now that Purple Eyes threw them here, those lights would finally be put out. They've walked so far with little to no luck. Yeah, maybe those lights would finally be blown out.

"Hey, Kate, you still there?"

No answer.

"Kate?"

He was about to panic and use the last of his strength to get up and make sure she was still breathing, but he was forced to close his eyes. He felt himself being lifted from the sand, with Kate's hand still entwined in his, and they could feel the heat of the sun approaching them. The sensation of large hands cradling them certainly didn't make things easier, but Keith felt like he could relax, not in the way that he was being released from his pain.

He was not going to visit death, but the light.

"Keith."

"Wha-"

He was pulled into sitting position, his strength returning to him. He was looking up at a concerned Rand. Rand?

"Rand, what are you doing here?!"

"I could say the same," the man looked like he was going to cry. "We thought you were dead."

"Dead?"

"Purple Eyes told us everything," the Ranger helped him to his feet. "He was behind the murder of the Societea. He stole Edward's armor and combined into the Golden Armor and took control of a Mewtwo, and was about to kill the doctor. I jumped in… and now I'm here."

"Was Edward caught in the attack?"

"I don't know. But… Where's Kate?"

"Kate?" Keith looked around. They were in the clouds, like how Hocus envisioned his little challenge at the end of his chamber. She could be anywhere, or she may have fallen through the clouds unconscious. She didn't answer him, so she could have still been asleep.

"I'm here."

Her steady voice caught them by surprise, and Keith restrained himself from flinging his arms around her. She was healthy and well again, as if their long trek had never happened at all.

"Kate," he breathed. "I… Where are we?"

"I don't know," the woman gave their surroundings a quick glance. "I'm more surprised that Rand managed to get here."

"Well, we're in heaven," Keith joked. "Does this mean we're dead?"

"Absolutely not."

A chill ran down Keith's spine as he saw the newcomer. He wasn't donning the piece of Golden Armor like they last saw him, but they all crouched into a defensive stance.

"Edward," Rand spoke first. "So you got caught in that attack, too."

"It seems so," he said. "I have no reason to hurt you anymore. I'm here for something else."

"And that is?"

"A summoning."

Just as he finished saying that, the clouds parted, and great white horse galloped into view. Its great head craned down to their level, scrutinizing the smaller beings.

"Uh, that's it," Keith quipped quietly. "I think we're in heaven."

"That's…" Rand staggered, in fear and awe. "That's Arceus."

"Indeed it is," Edward said as he stepped forth, and bowed under the light. Keith and Kate exchanged uneasy glances before kneeling themselves, trying to copy the doctor's movements.

_Rise, young Children. You are, for the time being, welcome._

As they got to their feet, Arceus's head turned to Edward, who seemed to know this Pokemon better. Keith and Kate lingered behind, unsure of what they should do. It was hardly possible enough for them to have walked so far, only to be given their strength back so easily. Was that this god's doing?

"I am Edward, the Thinker," the doctor presented himself. "I have come back."

_Ah, the Thinker, _Arceus lowered his head in recognition._ To think you would do so much just to have an audience with me._

"And that I have considered for a while," The doctor winced at the jab. "My behavior was unbecoming. I had realized that when the rest of us had been too consumed in our desire to meet you that we forgot that others wanted you for the wrong reasons. I shall accept all punishment, Arceus."

_If you were coming to see me, _the great equine god wondered._ What do you wish to ask of me. Only one so desperate would want to sacrifice for me._

"We had wanted to ask for your blessings again," Edward explained. "But now that only I am alive, I don't know how effective my request is."

_And why do you wish for me to bestow those curses upon you again?_

"The gates have been opened," Edward talked as if the god could understand him. "We had worked to close them before, but that hasn't stopped man from trying once again to use ways to reach you in dishonorable ways."

"What is he talking about?" Rand asked Keith, who shrugged. The doctor and this Pokemon god was chatting it up about gates and blessings, he couldn't tell right or wrong from it.

_I cannot provide such assistance, _Arceus finally said._ You are but only one man. You cannot carry such a burden. Your bones are too brittle. Your mind has aged too far. I cannot give my blessings to someone so frail. And do not forget that you too had become a dishonorable one. You cannot leave without being punished._

Keith was silently expecting the doctor to explode and plead, but the man hung his shoulders dejectedly.

_But I can heed your warning, _They added._ If you wish this to be dealt with. I will find the right Children for this task._

Edward's eyes lit up and he presented the three Rangers behind him.

"Then your Children are here."

The great horse lifted its head and examined the three of them. Keith wanted to melt under its gaze. Its gaze was too intense for him to even handle, he had to admire Doctor Edward for actually being able to stare this Pokemon straight in the face.

_They certainly are good choices, _Arceus said._ But only two of them are candidates._

"The other tried to save me," Edward reasoned. "I guess that wasn't enough."

_I am afraid not. We can do him a favor by sending him back._

In a flash, Rand had disappeared. Keith quickly waved a hand over where Rand was, and felt nothing.

"What did you do to Rand?" Kate asked, though her tone was far too indignant, for a god, that was.

_I have returned him back to his world, _Arceus was pretty good to control his temper._ I will return the two of you as well, but only when I have given you my instruction._

"For what?"

_Katherine Adeline Davies, _They recited._ I understand that you and Keith Alphonse Mustang have been tirelessly finding the cause of an accident that had left both of you the way you are. The Project of Black Water, I presume?_

"That is… correct."

"Then we can say this," Edward explained. "This is not the first time this has happened. In my time, there had been the existence of experiments that threatened other people and Pokemon. Some of my Societea, namely Arley and many others, were products of such vile deeds. And we as the Societea worked to put down this threat."

_The Societea, as they call it, were once our own allies, _Arceus continued_. But after they completed their duties, they have been relieved from peacekeepers and champions of us gods. We had assumed our world would be at relative peace, but sadly this is not the case, and we have not chosen anyone to be like what Societea had been for us._

"Since you left us here," Kate contested. "You mean to say that we will 'carry on' whatever legacy Doctor Edward here had left us?"

"This is only an invitation," Edward excused himself. "This would advance your findings."

Keith looked expectantly at Kate, hoping to get a better explanation. She had a long staring contest with the doctor and then with Arceus themselves.

"If I was allowed time to consider," Kate said. "Would I able to come back? Here, I mean."

_Child, _Arceus reassured her._ I will keep watch over you and other potential champions as long as I can, until you decide._

"Then it's settled," Kate finally said. "And Purple Eyes?"

_He shall be dealt with accordingly. You should return home knowing that he is no longer a threat to you or any of us._

"Are you going to stay here?" Kate asked Edward one more time. The doctor nodded.

"My punishment is already given," he said solemnly. "My friends are no longer with me. I will stay here until I'm dust."

Keith watched as Kate placed a hand on his shoulder, and giving one last glance to Arceus, she turned him away as they walked away into the light.

-oOo-

Ben kept Summer and Koa close to him even after the rumbling had stopped. The plummeting feeling of vertigo was slowly easing out of his system as he felt Summer stir under his protective arm. They both got up from where they lay on the stone floor.

He had to say that they just did the most ridiculous thing. After Rand had been blown away in that attack from Mewtwo with Edward and hearing what Purple Eyes had done to his mentors, the boy had nearly lost his handle on himself and was ready to beat Purple Eyes into a pulp. He had Summer to thank for stopping him, but the damage that was done to the entire fortress was too much, and after Purple Eyes was defeated, the fortress was set into free-fall straight on Renbow Island. But somehow the crisis was averted when Ho-Oh returned to set it into the ocean away from the islands. It was too much like a dream.

He watched his friend leap to her feet, admiring the sun and the waves. He himself couldn't contain his own excitement and relief. They had won, at a steep price, but they had won. Ben was yanked to his feet and was spun with Summer, who was now frozen in place.

"We…" She stammered, struggling to hold in her tears. "We were saved, too…"

After many hugs, the two of them set out to find the Rangers who had been left around the fortress. Thankfully, no one had gotten hurt. Crawford and the Area Rangers were gathered outside the doors they first came through and even more crying ensued. However, Ben was approached by Nema, who was confused and lost.

"Where's Papa?"

Everyone held their tongues, not sure how to answer that question. Summer stopped crying in joy and she hid her face from Nema with her scarf. Ben took a deep breath and knelt to the little girl's level.

"Nema," He said. "I… I'm sorry to tell you this, but… your father was a brave man…"

In those words, the little girl was about to become a blubbering mess. The festivities came to a halt immediately as the little girl was viciously rubbing the tears that flowed out of her eyes, and Ben made a move to hug her and comfort her. He wasn't going to tell her what happened to Kate and Keith, that they too died in the line of duty. Nema shouldn't have to deal with three deaths.

Ben could feel the morale of the entire group drop to a new low as Nema continued to cry. Strangely, he felt cold. Or maybe it was confidence, or hope…

"Guys!" Crawford hollered. "We've got visual confirmation from Hastings!"

All eyes turned on the big haired Ranger who was too excited for his own good.

"They've found them. All three of them! They're in critical, but they're going to live."

And the festivities resumed.

-ONE WEEK-

"I… I don't know what I should say."

"Look, Kate," Keith tried to ease his girlfriend's fears. "I've got no advice for you, but please, just be yourself. Rhythmi's right behind that door."

Kate bit her lip as she fumbled with the door knob. She was scared, which she refused to admit to Keith, despite how many times he kept teasing her about it.

She had to say, this was getting out of hand. They had just been given the okay from the doctors and boarded the first plane to Almia. Keith even had the idea to shove her the bridesmaid dress (delivered to him personally by Sven) just as soon as they got off the plane, and with Summer's help, they managed to make her look acceptable for a maid of honor. Kate was no expert on makeup, but she was sure she would have to reapply everything again, especially after all the running.

The light hit her face like a few ton of bricks and she immediately raised a hand to shield herself. She peeked through the crevices in her fingers to see the image of a beautiful bride, her blonde hair tied up with ornate pins, a long flowing dress Kate would no doubt be carrying for the entirety of the ceremony. Isaac deserved someone so wonderful, and Kate couldn't have been any prouder of an old friend.

The ex-Ranger, no, reinstated Top Ranger, snapped out of her reverie when Rhythmi turned around and nearly dropped her mirror in shock. Kate stepped forward to catch it but stumbled a few in her heels. Damn all that running.

"Kate…?"

"Yes, it's me."

-oOo-

_A/N: Hahahahaha, I got too tired to write anything, and I am terribly ashamed. Didn't really get to end it with the bang it deserves, but I've gotten pretty worn out leaving this story hanging, I had to end it or else leave it unfinished._

_So what now? Well, this was meant to be a prequel to my current Pokemon Black 2 Semi-Nuzlocke (I decided that midway, so that's why things just got so weird), branching on the continuity of Project Black Water, but then I look back on this and said, yeah, this is a pretty okay story, but I kinda wanted to reboot it._

_This is probably confusing. Maybe I should add a note on what I had intended to happen._

_Except now things are different, and I don't think I'll have much time, and I have future projects to work on. So, probably sticking to writing the reboot in The Little Miracles as drabbles, or I'll leave a Tumblr post on my blog explaining what I wanted to happen in the reboot. But this is the end. I'm sorry for having dragged this out for so long, but I'm glad to have reached the end with all of you._


End file.
